Anything but A Lost Cause
by aFlawedDesign
Summary: “Good.” He shifted himself to sit closely beside her, mere inches apart. “But could you make me a promise first?” “Umm…s-sure,” she stuttered, blushing at his closeness. He then leaned down to whisper into her ear. Sasuhina.
1. Another Failed Mission

**Formerly, Not A Lost Cause.**

**A/N:** This is my first attempt at a fanfic, so please bear with me. The fic starts around chapter 371 of the manga so if you're not caught up expect some spoilers, mainly the use of characters not yet introduced in the anime. It's a sasuhina fic, my favourite crack pairing! A handful of the chapters will be based in the past because I feel obligated to build a relationship, so it'll be awhile until we see them get together if they do that is, but there'll cute stuff when they're young!

**Summary:** They made a promise to each other, she broke it. He left to seek power. Will she be able to bring him back or is he a lost cause? A SasuHina fic

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto. (I think that's what I'm suppose to say...)

* * *

**CHAPTER 1: Another Failed Mission.**

Her creamy lavender eyes exhibiting no signs of submission penetrate his onyx irises, a sturdy gateway to a bottomless pit with no signs of any humanity that had once been present. A staring contest: likely the best way to describe the events unfolding before them.

"What's wrong all mighty leader? Are you getting soft?!" bellowed Suigetsu amidst the crowd of shinobi's, "just finish her off already! A battle with a little girl is almost comical!"

"Yeah, hurry up Sasuke! This is stupid!" Karin retorted. Enraged thoughts ran through her head. _Why is he staring at her like that? Why won't he just kill her like he did the other one? AHH! He's never looked at ME like that! Hmph_

"Hinata ... W-what are you doing?" the nearly incapacitated blonde asked nervously looking up at the figure in front of him, her arms outstretched from her sides as a means of shielding him with her body. Her stance was solid, unwavering, and apparently free of any hesitation. This was not the Hinata he knew.

The sound of his voice sent a chill through her body, she slightly glanced back making sure not to lose sight of the enemy and gave the blonde a reassuring smile. She was going to do anything in her power to protect him, even if it meant giving her life. She looked back directly into the black eyes, her sight bypassing the blood drenched blade inches from her face.

"Foolish girl, do you want to die like Sakura?" he motioned to the lifeless body not far from Naruto. "Stand aside, this isn't your battle, this is between me and those two worthless cowards" Sasuke stated firmly through his intimidating demeanour. "I'm not one to take lives of those who don't deserve to die, but if you insist on protecting him, I will kill you." He looked her over once more, looking for any indication that her will to protect Naruto would somehow falter.

"N-n… no… Na-Naruto is my friend and I will protect him even if it cost me my life!" Hinata blurted out confidently pushing her usual stutter away. She didn't know what had overcome her, minutes ago she 

was watching the battle between the shinobi's of team 7, but somehow she had now found herself involved in the battle.

"Well then, so be it. I will deliver to you the fatal blow" with that Sasuke pulled the blade of his sword back to thrust into her but found himself hesitating… again he was hesitating. He looked into her pale eyes; they were filled with tears, looking back at him, piercing into his. What was it about those eyes? What was it about her that made him sway in his objectives? At this point Sasuke's battle with his former team was no longer that. When he pulled his blade back, Kiba and Shino had instantly appeared at Hinata's side. Kiba and Shino on either side while Akamaru growled at Sasuke from behind. In the split second after team 8 had moved to Hinata's aid, so did Sasuke's group, Hebi. Juugo to Sasuke's left looking directly at Shino, while Suigestu had taken his stance directly across from Kiba. Karin moved to Sasuke's back, looking nervously into the eyes of a massive dog. Sai and Kakashi had made their way over to Sakura who was not far from Naruto. Behind Hinata stood Yamato who was tending to the whiskered blonde boy.

"W-why? why? w-why S-Sa-Sasuke?" Hinata managed to stutter out becoming more emotional as tears streamed down either cheek. He was caught off guard by her reaction to him, why had it bothered him so much to see her like that? She was no different from any other girl, so why was he taken aback? "Thi-this… this… is not… you're not… Sasuke" she cried out, "pl-please… b-be the… Sa-sas… be the Sasuke I know…"

"Ha! Don't talk like you know anything about Sasuke, you dumb girl!" Karin snapped back from behind him.

Sasuke held his glare at her, his stern face was no longer tense as it had been before; his jaw was not clenched tightly like it had been in this battle and all his other battles. He could feel the muscles in his face soften, what was happening to him? He had never been this soft since his days in Konoha. His heart-beat hastened and a shudder made its way through his body at the mere thought of being weak. _It's all her fault, this feeling is because of her, _he cursed himself. _I hate her. I hate her, but why can't I bring myself to kill her?_ He pulled his eyes away from hers as well as his bloodied blade and sheathed it. "We're leaving" he stated firmly.

"What?! Why would we leave now?! Just kill the stupid girl! She's just a stupid naïve girl anyway, what difference does it make if she's dead or alive?! She's so weak! You know what?! I'll do it for you!" with that statement complete, Karin made her way out from behind Sasuke pushing Jugo aside. But before she was able to move any further towards the now stunned Hinata, she was stopped as Sasuke's left arm raised to obstruct her way. She looked at him with a puzzled expression, _what is this girl to him?_

"Oi, Sasuke… you really are getting weak aren't you?" Suigetsu said mockingly at him.

"Let's just go. I have no desire to harm anyone" Juugo said calmly while looking at the equally calm Konoha shinobi across from him.

Sasuke took one last glance at Hinata, who by now had ceased her crying although her cheeks glistened where the tears had fallen, he then turned to walk away. The rest of his team followed behind.

"Wait! I'm not done with you!" a voice came from behind Hinata. It was Naruto, beaten and battered and he still wasn't going to let Sasuke go.

"You're in no condition to fight me. If you really expect to be able to bring me back to Konoha, then you know you need to get stronger. But it's irrelevant either way, I'll just eventually kill you" and with that Sasuke walked out of their sight, leaving the Konoha shinobi's to accept the defeat as another failed mission.

* * *

**A/N:** Hope you enjoyed! Next chapter will jump to the past, back in the academy days. I'll try to update weekly or bi-weekly, the chapters are pretty short so it shouldn't be a problem.

And please review!


	2. Troublesome Women

**A/N:** I got a couple reviews for chapter 1 which made me super happy because to be honest I didn't think this fic would see the light of day. I'm smiling! even though I had a fever yesterday and felt like my head was going to burst, it made me happy to see someone enjoyed my fic! Anyway, here is chapter 2. As a note I'm writing with the characters at around 12 years old about a year before the rookie 9 become genin. ENJOY!

**Disclaimer:** It's ture... you guessed it, I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**CHAPTER 2: Troublesome Women**

_Girls are so troublesome. _A young Shikamaru thought to himself while observing the hoard of squeaking girls that followed the young Uchiha Sasuke around. Yes, the girls literally 'squeaked' it just proved Shikamaru's theories about women and how much of a nuisance they were. There were girls that drooled over him, actually salivating in the Sasuke's presence it was one of the most unattractive visions that had ever graced Shikamaru's eyes. Then there was that one pink head of hair that constantly clung to him as though she would burst into flames of ash if he ever pulled away, like she was clinging for her life. Girls like her were beyond troublesome, they were as worse as they came. Girls who cared less about training to become proper shinobi but rather were more worried about their appearance and whether the Uchiha was paying attention to them and if he weren't then they declared war on whoever it was that did happen to capture his attention. Shikamaru couldn't for the life of him understand how girls could swoon over Uchiha Sasuke like rabid dogs, he just seemed like trouble with his history and all. It was a mystery how the Uchiha was able to contain himself and tolerate the mass of swarming fan-girls, he half expected Sasuke to have at least lashed out at some of them.

Oddly enough, for the most part the Uchiha didn't seem to be bothered, he just spent his days at the academy training hard, probably to be like his older brother… or something, Shikamaru lazily thought. It wasn't until after the Uchiha massacre that Sasuke had become introverted, seemingly shutting everyone out, but it was understandable and how else would you expect a kid to react when his entire clan was wiped out and by his older brother no less. Still, even though his life was flooded with tragedy, the girls still worshiped the ground he walked on and continued to squeak as they did so, but now it was evident that this annoyed him.

Uchiha Sasuke sought refuge from the chaos that shadowed his movements, ungracefully following him where ever he went. He found his area of refuge under a large tree hidden away from the close proximity of the academy but still close enough to be on the academy grounds. This was enough to give him some peace and time alone during each day so he could maintain his sanity. All he needed to do was find the spot under his tree and all his worries melted into calm and soothing thoughts, surfacing as pure ambitions and goals to be achieved. Painful memories of his family morphed into aspirations to fulfill his role as the avenger, the one to kill his brother and avenge the murder of his family and clan. However, as much as he believed it to be his solitary haven, he discovered that it wasn't as solitary as he thought. Footsteps, there were new footsteps every day that he paid a visit to his tree. Someone just like him came here every day to be alone, but it didn't matter who it was as long as this mysterious person never chose to be there when he did. He was content.

* * *

"Shikamaruuuuu!" an irritating voice travelled closer to him. _How troublesome…_ he thought to himself before falling back onto the grass. "Hey! There you are Shikamaru!" said an exuberant blonde haired girl.

"Go away Ino… I don't know where Sasuke is" Shikamaru shrugged her off, hoping that would be the end of it and she would leave him alone to watch the clouds in peace.

"Huh? How did you know I was going to-" she was cut off before completing her sentence.

"Because… every day you ask where Sasuke is, I doubt this day is any different… how troublesome" he sighed under his breath motioning for her to leave.

"Hmph! You're so rude you know!" she angrily shot back at him before crossing her arms across her chest, sticking her nose up in the air, and stomping away. She had left him and he was glad.

* * *

For Sasuke, seeking refuge under his tree was an easy task but doing so proved difficult in the academy. There was no escaping the hoards of fan-girls. They were literally everywhere, even in places they shouldn't be like the boys' washroom or even under Sasuke's desk! One seemed to have developed an unnatural foot fetish; specifically she wanted his left foot. This caused him to furiously check under anything before he sat down, of course he did it coyly so as not to attract strange looks or cause his sensei's to doubt his sanity. Unfortunately for him, there seemed to be no safe haven for him to retreat to within the doors of the academy. All the girls were the same, they were all nutcases it was as simple as that. The guys weren't any better either, most of them clearly jealous of his superior skills and good looks.

One bright sunny morning he walked into his classroom only to become aware that his usual seat was being swarmed by his fan-girls, he needed to find another seat, somewhere away from _them_. He groaned outwardly as anger shot through his body, it was like he was destined to always be stalked by psychotically obsessed girls. Doing his best to go unnoticed he opted to take the closest seat to him, in the middle of a pale eyed girl and a blonde haired whiskered boy. The girl didn't fit the mold of his typical fan-girls, which relieved him to an extent. She had short dark hair, a bob cut with bangs that nicely framed her cream tinted skin. The pale skin of her face against the mid-night blue hair was a drastic contrast; on top of that, her lavender eyes made her seem mysterious, exotic, and almost untouchable. Her clothes were baggy, most notably, she wore an oversized tan colored sweater. She definitely didn't appear to be a typical girl. This girl intrigued him, especially her eyes. He reasoned that she must be a Hyuuga from that and the circled flame crested on the sleeve of her sweater. He inwardly wondered about the bloodline limit of her clan while comparing it to the Sharingan.

Sasuke then turned to glance at the blonde to his left, he recognized him as the goof who talked big but in the end amounted to very little. Figuring the boy was probably at the bottom of the class because of his lack of skills or talent. In addition to his flaws, the blonde's antics didn't impress anyone either having once been chased down the academy hallways by none other than the Hokage himself. It was also 

crystal clear how adults of the village felt about him too. He was orphaned by the death of his parents while he was an infant and the village seemed to dislike him for it. Villagers would often publicly talk about him while motioning for their children to stay away from him. He deemed the boy beside him to be nothing more than a failure and that is how it would likely be for the blonde's future.

However, Sasuke's original assumptions of the Hyuuga heiress being different from the other girls were amended when he noticed the girl glance over in his direction before her breathing became heavy and her cheeks were blushing brightly. _She was another one of them_, he thought to himself now regretting his choice. But she didn't make any attempt to associate with him and that was good enough or so he thought. Throughout the day he would notice her numerous glances over in his direction as she played with her fingers, pushing her two indexes together. Her cheeks were blushing different shades of red every time she looked his way. It annoyed him to no end; she was just like the rest of them except she was fragile and weak. He turned to look directly into her pale lavender eyes and grimaced.

"Stop…Looking…At…Me" he whispered sternly to her. Her eyes widened, her face flushed, she got up and ran out of the class. _Weak girl, she doesn't belong here. She'll never be strong enough to be a shinobi, probably running home to cry in daddy's arm._ He unsympathetically thought to himself.

Finally class had let out and he found himself at his sanctuary, the tree. His body had moved on its own accord, absently taking him there so that he could rest peacefully. When he had arrived, he plopped himself down in the spot that he had grown so accustomed to. But unbeknownst to him, his area of solitude had been occupied by the presence of another. Sniffling sounds were coming from the other side of the tree. Curiously, he turned to make his way around the tree, unexpectedly his black onyx eyes were met with wide creamy lavender eyes. What was _she_ doing under _his_ tree?

* * *

**A/N:** This chapter was another short one just like all of them will likely be. Sorry for holding off on filling in the gaps from chapter 1 and what happened to Sakura but that'll come next chapter. It was originally part of this chapter but it didn't "flow" to my liking. Oh well...

See you next time and please review!


	3. Confrontation

**A/N:** There are spoilers as I mentioned in chapter 1. ENJOY!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naurto.

**

* * *

**

CHAPTER 3: Confrontation

"So that's how it is?" Tsunade questioned, looking over Kakashi and Yamato as they both nodded in unison. "In your search for Sasuke you encountered an Akatsuki by the name of Tobi. Then after a drawn out battle Naruto used his Rasenshuriken which I told him not to use. Naruto defeated him?"

"ahh… yes?" Kakashi replied unsure about what response he would receive from the Hokage.

"Then what happened? How did you encounter Sasuke? And why are only Naruto and Sakura hurt?" she continued her interrogation while a look of frustration crept onto her face.

"Well… after we defeated the Akatsuki, we decided it was best to head back to Konoha. We were preparing to leave when one of the dogs caught Sasuke's scent. Naruto and Sakura insisted we go after him" Kakashi answered nervously rubbing the back of his neck. "But it was more the case that Sasuke found us instead…"

"I see... You chose to engage in battle when your subordinates were in a weakened state after the battle with the Akatsuki?" Tsunade sighed, "Naruto and Sakura can be quite persuasive sometimes."

"They requested to battle Sasuke alone; they still see it as their duty to bring him back" Yamato said firmly as though justifying their actions.

"I understand, those two can be quite stubborn sometimes, especially Naruto" a smile etched its way onto Tsunade's face. "Well, as least they were able to return with no life threatening injuries. What else happened? Did Sasuke mention anything notable?"

Both captains nodded and Yamato continued to talk "he mentioned that he had just killed Itachi."

"It seems the last Uchiha has grown to be very powerful. He was able to take out both Orochimaru and Itachi" Kakashi added.

"That would seem to be the case, assuming we can believe what he says" Tsunade said warily, "what happened in the rest of the battle? How did Sakura sustain such a deep wound?"

"Actually, Naruto and Sakura were putting up quite the fight" Kakashi said eagerly with a smirk clearly visible from under his mask. "They could probably have beaten him if Naruto hadn't had to fight the Akatsuki prior to battling Sasuke."

"Unfortunately the outcome was less than ideal" Yamato added, a bleak expression washed over his face, "Sasuke targeted Naruto directly but before he could do anything to dodge it, Sakura had thrown 

herself in front and taken the blade into her abdomen. Thankfully she was able to heal herself before the damage would be too serious."

Kakashi nodded to Yamato who had looked over in his direction and Yamato continued to recreate the battle of team 7, "but after what happened to Sakura, Naruto began drawing on the fox's chakra and began furiously attacking Sasuke only to have all his attacks dodged by Sasuke's immense speed. Naruto began wearing down, unable to maintain the level of fighting necessary to keep up with Sasuke and he was left vulnerable. He eventually collapsed."

"Collapsed?" asked Tsunade curiously.

"Then something kind of… hmm… unexpected happened" added Kakashi, drawing in Tsunade's interest.

"Yes, it was unexpected" Yamato continued, his expression brightened slightly. "Sasuke moved to attack Naruto, but this time Hinata jumped in front of him and Sasuke didn't harm her. He forcibly stopped the blade before it could pierce her. Then he warned her that if she didn't move then he would kill her too, but after she refused to move he pulled his blade back to attack her but stopped himself again. He eventually pulled back completely, and then he and his team withdrew."

"Is that so?" the Hokage said contently. "Well, this is indeed an interesting development. Why don't you two go home and rest."

Both team captains nodded then headed out of the Hokage's office.

* * *

They stared at each other in bewilderment, neither one looking away at least not for several more seconds. A gasp escaped out of the timid girl as she squeezed her eyes shut as if willing the Uchiha to disappear. Sasuke on the hand couldn't help but continue to stare at the girl he had scorned not long before.

"What are you doing here?" he asked apathetically, as he continued to eye her. He placed his hand gently on her shoulder and gave her a weak nudge. Her creamy lavender eyes snapped open and she pushed his hand off her shoulder then proceeded to increase the distance between them. _Is she scared of me?_ He thought to himself, not sure how to react.

"Ah...I'm…s-sorry" the words were barely audible, but he knew what she meant. "I-I…I'll l-leave you a-a-alone…" she stuttered before getting up to leave.

"Wait" he said, disrupting her attempt at an escape, "what's your name?" He wasn't quite sure why he was asking, but something about this girl captivated him.

"Umm… my name…i-it's umm… it's Hyu-Hyuuga Hi-Hi…" she paused, visibly distraught, she could feel the heat rise to her face.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow curiously _she must really be scared of me_.

Her indexes were being pressed together under so much pressure that it'd be expected that one of them would snap in half very soon.

"Hyuuga Hinata. My name is Hyuuga Hinata" she blurted out quickly relinquishing the stress of telling the Uchiha her name.

"Hinata…" Sasuke started "I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to…" he was cut off by sounds of her feet shuffling.

"Um… i-it's ok… I w-will l-leave you a-alone"

"You don't have to leave, it looks like we'll be sharing this place anyway" Sasuke said in an attempt to be nice.

Hinata continued to play with her fingers while her face burned a crimson red. She softly shook her head before turning to walk away. It was more of a speed walk than a normal walk; she needed to get away from him as soon as possible but didn't want to appear as though she was running away from him.

Sasuke watched her disappear into the distance. He was convinced that she really was scared of him. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe she really is different from the other girls. One thing is certain though, Hyuuga Hinata is a fascinating girl. _And she's a Hyuuga; one of Konoha's other bloodline limit clans,_ he thought to himself, _just like the Uchiha's_

**

* * *

**

**A/N:** It gets better after this chapter... I've actually been really disappointed with how this and the previous chapter turned out. The chapters also start getting a bit longer after this one. Alright, see you next time!

Please review!


	4. A Single Lavender Flower

**A/N:** For your reading pleasure, I present you chapter 4! After chapter 3 I adopted a different approach to writing so it may be a bit different, hopefully for the better.

To the reviewers, Thanks for reviewing! Your reviews are vastly appreciated! To _daydream14_, yes the fic is a mixture of present and past. This chapter is present, after this the next 6 or so will be past then it'll jump back to present or that is how I've planned it. To _Reikotsu, _Thank you for taking the time to submit such a well detailed and constructive review! I know exactly what you mean about me getting carried away hehe... I REALLY appreciated your constructive criticism and genuinely hope that you take the time to write another one in a few chapters to let me know how I'm doing! Especially since I've got a new writing approach where I don't just aimlessly write...haha

**Disclaimer:** As usual, I don't own Naruto.

**

* * *

**

CHAPTER 4: A Single Lavender Flower

The early light of the morning invaded the cold air of the room lightly accentuating his bright blonde hair as it hit his face. He shuffled slightly to avoid the sun's rays, grasping for a few more minutes of sleep, but the light was unavoidable, pestering him to wake up and so he did. He stretched his arms high above his body while taking in his surroundings. A plain room with very few decorations, beside the bed he lay on was a small drawer, it was grey and plain as well. On top of the drawer stood a small vase with a single lavender colored flower. _Hinata_, he thought to himself while admiring it, _I must be in the hospital_.

He had made frequent visits to the hospital through his life more often as a patient than a visitor. His numerous admissions were the result of his foolishness. He was always so hasty in battles and wound up hurt many times, he'd also occasionally train himself to the point of exhaustion. But regardless of being stuck in a hospital bed, there was always a highlight to being there. All his friends would visit; people who cared about him. His visitors were sporadic when it came to visiting him but two of them were always constant and reliable: Sakura and Hinata. Sakura would always come by to help speed up his healing and then berate about being more careful. Hinata would come by to drop off a single lavender colored flower, then she would take a seat in a chair beside his bed and blush. He never understood why she blushed so immensely when she was around him but he shrugged it off as her just being shy and a little weird. They didn't talk much but he still enjoyed their moments of silent peace together.

His eyes shot over in the direction of the feet of his bed. Across the room was another patient. He couldn't make out who it was but the person was just beginning to wake up but as the person shifted upwards he recognized that head of pink hair.

"SAKURA!"

She brought one of her hands to gently rub her eyes awake before glancing over in his direction.

"Naruto, how are you feeling?" she put on a weak smile.

"I'm feeling better, how about you?" he asked curiously, observing her nod confirming that she was feeling better as well.

Just as they completed their short exchange the door to their room opened and in walked Tsunade.

"So you two are awake and feeling better?" she asked happily with a bright smile plastered on her face. They both nodded simultaneously. "Well then it looks like you two will be able to head home today, Sakura, your wound is all healed, you pretty much healed it all yourself during the battle" Tsunade continued to look intently at Sakura "luckily he didn't hit a vital spot, it's odd though that he managed to miss a vital spot" she let out a light chuckle. _He didn't miss, _Sakura thought to herself, _he just never meant to kill me_.

Tsunade then turned to address the blonde, "Naruto, your body was really worn down after fighting the Akatsuki and Sasuke, but it seems to have regained its strength so you're both free to go when you're ready." And with that she turned to leave, closing the door behind her to leave the two alone.

Sakura then looked up at Naruto whose hands were clenched in his lap. "We'll bring him back next time Naruto, don't be mad at yourself."

"I know, it just hurts that he was right there and I failed again, I failed the first time, the second time, and the third time" he clenched his hands tighter, his nails digging into his palm.

"You didn't fail, it's not your duty alone to bring him back, don't treat yourself so harshly and don't feel like you need to shoulder the burden all by yourself. I'm here too, I'll always be by your side, we'll bring him back next time, and we'll bring him back together" she finished with a compassionate gaze on him. "Now, how about we get dressed and go get some ramen together?"

Naruto's head instantly shot up, his smile as wide as it's ever been, he jumped out of his bed rushing to the bathroom for his clothes. Sakura giggled to herself at his sudden mood change at the mention of ramen.

Together, they made their way to Naruto's favorite ramen stand: Ichiraku Ramen. Their walk together mostly consisted of Naruto asking Sakura if this were a date and Sakura shrugging him off, stating that it'd only be a date if he treated her which he would not agree to because his little money frog simply couldn't regurgitate enough for both of them. Dejected, he agreed at the very least he was happy to just be able eat with her.

There were already two people seated at the ramen stand when they arrived and a large white dog sprawled just outside the stand.

"Kiba! Hinata!" Naruto shouted excitedly once he had recognized his friends.

"Hey! You're out of the hospital already?" Kiba glanced back as a smile crept onto his face.

"Yea, not a long stay this time" Naruto replied taking a seat beside Hinata while Sakura took a seat beside him.

"Always a fast healer, eh?"

"Of course! The future Hokage isn't going to be taken down so easily" His grin so wide it almost touched from one ear to the next.

Kiba chuckled at the statement before digging into his bowl of ramen, while Naruto and Sakura ordered their food. Meanwhile, between Kiba and Naruto sat a blushing Hinata, her head was deep in her bowl of ramen in a poor attempt to hide her blush from everyone.

"Hinata, I don't think it's such a good idea to eat your ramen so closely. You're face is getting really red" Naruto obliviously said to her.

"Umm… y-you're r-right Na-Naruto" she said quietly just above whispering before pulling her face out of her bowl.

"There's something I want to say Hinata" he paused, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, "umm… thanks for what you did for me when we fought Sasuke. It meant a lot to know you cared."

Her eyes widened and her mouth gaped open while her face continued to glow different hues of red.

"Next time, you shouldn't risk your life to protect me. I can take care of myself alright?" his face clearly depicting the blow he had taken to his manhood. "And you too Sakura, you shouldn't have done that either."

"Umm… alright" Hinata said, bowing her head down to look into her bowl.

"You idiot!" Sakura shouted before her fist made contact with his head sending him back out of his seat and into the street, "why can't you just accept that you weren't able to fight and that it's ok to need some protecting sometimes even if it is by a couple of spunky girls!"

"Ouch… Sakura, I just got out of the hospital, did you have to hit me so hard?"

"Yes, you need some sense knocked into you" she smirked as he got back into his seat, "just be thankful that you have people who care about you enough to risk their lives to save you."

"Ok ok, you're right. Thank you Sakura and Hinata for saving me" he rolled his eyes at his statement then turned to Hinata, "by the way Hinata, why didn't Sasuke attack you? Does your Byakugan have some sort of power to control him or something?! Genjutsu maybe?!" Naruto asked excitedly hoping she'd reveal some well kept secret behind the Byakugan.

Hinata looked at him with pure shock on her face. She hadn't thought about it before but now that he had mentioned it, _why didn't he attack me? _She thought to herself, hunting the deep crevasses of her mind for an answer. He said it himself when they were young, that she was weak and annoying and that he couldn't stand those two qualities and therefore couldn't stand her. _So why didn't he just kill me?_

"I… I-I don't kn-know why…" shaking her head in utter confusion.

"Your Byakugan, you did something didn't you?" Naruto's excitement was growing with the thought of her bloodline limit and possible secrets they didn't know about, but to his disappointment she just shook her head.

"Leave her alone Naruto. If she doesn't know, she doesn't know. Maybe Sasuke's just gotten soft" Kiba said with a loud chuckle.

"Maybe Sasuke likes you!" Naruto joked as his and Sakura's orders arrived. Hinata dropped her face back into her bowl, her nose dangerously close to gracing the surface of the soup, trying to hide the blush that had completely overtaken her face.

"Maybe he does Hinata" Sakura joined in, her bright smile gleamed over to Hinata.

"There's no way Sasuke could like Hinata! He's cold and practically has no emotions; he probably doesn't even like girls!" Kiba snapped at the two, "Even if he did like her, she would NEVER want to be with him! Right Hinata?" Kiba said nudging Hinata to agree with him.

"Are you jealous Kiba?" Naruto said tauntingly at Kiba while Kiba growled back.

"You know Naruto, he's right" Sakura smirked, "Hinata would never choose Sasuke she's already smitten with someone else."

The heat in Hinata's face rose beyond bearable temperatures, waiting for it to somehow self combust. She shut her eyes tightly hoping to wake up from this very, very bad dream.

"Really?! Hinata, you like someone? Who is it? I promise I won't tell anyone" Naruto asked her, giddy like a little school girl and as oblivious as ever.

Hinata's vision became hazy; her head began to feel light, her eyes rolled to the back of her head, her visual field narrowed as darkness encroached, while she fell backwards out of her seat.

"Hinata?!" she heard a mixture of voices calling her name before everything went completely dark.

* * *

**A/N:** Fluffy chapter (sigh)... Oh gosh! Hinata fainted! Gee, wonder what she's dreaming about? Reliving her younger years with the oh so charming Sasuke maybe? A glimpse into the past possibly? hmmm... (ponders to self)

See you next chapter and remember to review!


	5. Training Partners

**A/N:** I've re-titled the story cause well, the word 'not' is kind of unappealing, so the fic will be now known as Anything but a Lost Cause. Is that any better?

I've also gone back and taken out the one stray honourific that I used, just to make everything more consistent and lastly I will be spelling Jugo as Juugo for the rest of the fic so I've changed it in the first chapter.

Again I'd like to take a moment to thank all the fabulous reviewers who feel that I'm worthy of a review... hehe... makes me feel special!

ENJOY!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

**

* * *

**

CHAPTER 5: Training Partners

Sasuke sat himself down underneath the tree he regarded as his sanctuary and on the spot he was so familiar with. For once in the last few years of his life his mind wasn't consumed by thoughts of Itachi and the deaths of his parents. His thoughts kept going back to that girl, Hyuuga Hinata. As much as he pushed her out of his head, she would just claw her way back or after images would linger and compel him to mentally relive their encounter. Days had passed since she had been here and when he saw her in class she would always make sure to be seated away from him or in an area that had no free seats. To put it simply, Hinata was avoiding him and it was very obvious. She was definitely not like the other girls and he felt drawn to her. He reasoned that his interests in her were a result of her bloodline limit and clan name. He wanted to know which was stronger, the Sharingan or the Byakugan. He wanted to know if she had awakened her Byakugan yet, because he hadn't awakened his Sharingan yet. He wanted to battle against it. And the fact that she was making every effort to avoid him annoyed him to no end.

Sasuke decided it was time to head home for the night. He stood up and pulled the Kunai he had been training with out of the mark on the tree and put it in his pouch.

The next morning he entered his classroom, scanning the room in search of the Hyuuga heiress. She was seated by the wall with the blonde boy to her left. _She's always sitting beside him_, Sasuke noted. His hands fisted momentarily before he noticed the boy get up to go sit beside a pink haired girl that he recognized as one of his obsessive fan-girls. Sasuke moved to sit beside the Hyuuga. Once seated, he noticed her tense.

"Are you really that afraid of me?" he asked her tauntingly, an evil smirk on his face.

Her eyes widened, "umm… n-no…" was all she could manage. Her head bowed down, avoiding his sight and her indexes pressed against each other.

"But you're avoiding me right?" he asked in an amused tone.

"Umm… w-well…I…" she couldn't find the words to admit the truth.

Sasuke nodded acknowledging the truth she couldn't bring herself to speak. After a few awkward minutes of silence Sasuke offered her a smile. A genuine smile from Uchiha Sasuke was rare and desired by nearly every girl in the academy.

"I don't mind sharing" he stated apathetically looking straight ahead, "I'm not there all the time, if you need time alone you can go there" he said referring to his place of refuge.

She nodded before forcing a smile on her flushed face.

* * *

Hinata clutched her side, gasping for air. She tried to stand up but her legs gave out beneath her weight and she went crashing to the floor. She looked up to gaze into eyes the same color as hers but these eyes were hard, cold, closed to the world. Her father had always been strict and his expectations were difficult for Hinata to ever come close to living up to. She wasn't like her cousin Neji or her younger sister Hanabi who both seem to be naturally gifted. Neji had awakened his Byakugan before he had even entered the academy and she still hadn't been able to awaken hers. Although Hanabi was still very young, she was showing strong promise. Her stances during her training sessions were strong and solid; Hinata was nowhere close to Hanabi at that age. It was blatantly obvious that her father, Hyuuga Hiashi was beyond disappointed with Hinata's progress. He was never the warm, loving, and supportive father she yearned for, he on the other hand was distant, tough, and firm. Often giving her severe verbal lashings for her lack of progress, constantly telling her she would never be fit to hold the title of Hyuuga clan head if she remained this weak.

"Hinata, what are you doing? Get up!" he said sternly, "how do you expect to amount to anything if you can't even endure a short training session?"

She summoned all the energy she had left and pulled herself up, settling her feet firmly on the floor and taking up the stance for the Gentle Fist technique. Her father moved towards her once more, attacking viciously, she managed to dodge a few of his attacks and throw in a couple of her own. But her attempts at attacking were labored and easily predictable, mere seconds after they had continued their spar she was on the floor again, on her hands and knees drawing in deep breaths of air that never felt like enough to ease the pain coursing through her body. She turned her head up to look up at her father, who had dropped his stance and stood normally in front of her. The expression of his face was nothing less than that of shame.

"You're a lost cause Hinata, a disgrace to this clan and an embarrassment to the main branch. I am done training you" he stated in a distant and detached tone, "you will never be suited to lead this clan, get out of my sight I cannot bear to look at you."

Her vision blurred with the onslaught of tears welling up on the edges of her eyes, seeping out and pouring down her cheeks. Her heart beat hastened, rapidly pounding inside her chest. Every limb of her body ached but the most unbearable pain was the aching of her heart, a pain that could not be attributed to her physical injuries. It was a hurt she had never experienced before, an all encompassing sensation that left her mind in shambles. She was incapable of registering everything he had said or forming the words to express whatever it was she wanted to say to him.

Before she had even realized it, she was up and running, turning smoothly around the corner into the hall that led out of the Hyuuga house into the dimming light of the sunset. She by passed everyone who had still been wandering the Hyuuga grounds without even sparing a glance, passed the few large trees that decorated the luscious green lawn, straight down the long path that led out passed the gates and into the streets of Konoha.

Hinata ran as fast as her legs would allow, which seemed faster than she had ever ran. She never let up on her pace, she couldn't stay at home she needed more than anything to get away. As she ran through the streets, she gasped for air and feverishly wiped the tears from her face with the longs sleeves of her sweater. She attracted many worried stares and glances from the villagers who all seem to recognize the Hyuuga heiress, a few of them calling out her name to ask if she were all right. Amidst all the events occurring around her in the dim light, she was only able to respond to the various landmarks that would help guide her to her final destination.

Upon reaching the large tree on the academy grounds, she quickly scurried around its large base looking for any signs of another person. She let out a breath when she found no one. She sat down at a section of the trunk that was slightly concaved inward to perfectly fit her back, slowing down her breathing she attempted to calm her nerves and stop her excessive crying. She pulled on the sleeves of her sweater, stretching them down past her wrist to her palms and brought her two hands up to conceal her face, lastly she brought her knees up against her chest so she could rest her arms on them. Her eyes were tightly shut underneath her hands and she was slowly slipping into unconsciousness. She figured that it wouldn't hurt to spend the night here, the weather had been quite warm lately and her father certainly didn't want to see her so her options were limited.

"Hinata?" a worried voice asked, "Are you alright?" he shuffled closer to her, kneeling down at her side.

She didn't know how to respond so she simply shook her head without looking up. There was no need to look up, she already knew who he was the minute he said her name, no one else would know to find her here.

"Oh…" Sasuke responded to her head shake not knowing what sort of words he needed to comfort her. He simply sat down beside her hoping his company would be enough, she wasn't much for talking so it certainly wouldn't help to pester her into revealing everything that was bothering her. They silently sat there until her breathing calmed and all that was left of her crying were sniffles.

"If there's something you want to talk about, I'll listen" he offered her unexpectedly, shocking himself. Sasuke knew he wasn't a bad guy; he just didn't care much for others. He could easily be nice if he wanted to but somehow he couldn't quite comprehend why he was offering to listen to all her problems. The truth was he could care less about what was bothering her, but every breath she drew in and every sniffle of her nose made him feel uneasy. He just wanted her to stop.

"It's…m-my father…" she wasn't sure why she was confiding in him, he was probably one of the least sensitive and considerate people she knew and would probably make her feel even worse, maybe it was just that she needed someone to talk to and at this point it didn't matter who it was. She only wished it was a certain blonde boy who had chosen to sit beside her and comfort her instead of the Uchiha.

"Is he hurt? Did something happen to him?" Sasuke asked with a slightly worried expression.

She shook her head gently before slowly bringing it up to look at him, her cheeks were tinted a light pink, her previously tear-filled eyes glistened under the light of the setting sun and it made her look prettier than any girl he had ever laid eyes on.

"He…he c-called me a d-disgrace and a-an e-embarrassment…" she paused momentarily to recall his words, "he s-said he w-won't train me a-anymore and that I'm… I'm n-not f-fit to lead the Hyu…" She paused again in an attempt to hold back the tears that were fighting to surface, then she felt his arms wrap around her pulling her into his hold and she didn't fight it. "He d-doesn't think I… I'm n-not fit to i-inherit the t-title of H-hyuuga head."

"Why?" he asked simply while rubbing her back to calm her.

"B-because I'm w-weak… I'm n-nothing compared t-to… e-everyone" she closed her eyes tightly shut, grasping onto his shirt and throwing her face into his shoulder, letting her tears soak his shirt. "I'm w-weaker than m-my li-little sister and w-weaker than m-my cousin, I… I c-can't even u-use my B-Byakugan…"

"Oh…" he said while searching for the words to stop her crying, "if you need someone to train with… I can train with you…" He felt her tense up in his arms and push away from him. She gazed up to his face while his arms pulled away from her.

"You… you w-will help t-train me?" her face burned up, she could feel the deep blush upon her face before she pulled it down to watch her fingers push against each other.

"Sure, I need a training partner for sparring anyway" he said kindly, feeling excitement build up inside him at the prospect of training with Hyuuga Hinata and potentially against her Byakugan. "Besides, I'm our class's top student, so I think I could make a good training partner."

"Ok, t-thank y-you S-sasuke" she said quietly, but he could hear her tone brighten. She was feeling better and it was because of him, he mused.

"You should go home and rest; we can start training tomorrow after classes end."

"I…" she paused, pulling her knees up against her chest wrapping her arms around them and sinking her face down. "I c-can't g-go home… I-I can't f-face h-him" she was referring to her father, "I'm j-just going t-to stay here t-tonight."

Sasuke raised his eyebrow curiously at her. "Then do you want to stay the night at my place… ever since my parents…" he stopped not wanting to go into further detail, "there are a couple spare rooms."

"No" she shook her head in her knees, "I'll j-just stay h-here." She really didn't want to spend the night at his place when she barely knew him and if anyone spotted her with Konoha's last Uchiha she would never dare set foot in the Hyuuga house again. She knew how her father cursed the Uchiha clan after the massacre, how he detested the actions of Sasuke's older brother and how he had predicted a similar future for Sasuke. The last thing she needed was for him to find out she spent the night in an Uchiha house.

"Alright, suit yourself but at least take this" he rummaged through his back pack, pulling out a dark blue blanket with the Uchiha crest stitched on one of its corners. "Sometimes I train here until late at night and just sleep here so I make sure to bring a blanket" he explained his reason for carrying a blanket, opening it he got up to wrap it around her. The blush on her face was clearly visible.

"Umm… T-thanks" she said pulling the blanket up to her nose in an attempt to cover her blush.

"I'm going to train for a bit before I head home, you can just leave the blanket here when you leave" he said smirking at the blush he had triggered, "get some sleep." She nodded compliantly before turning to lie down; she watched him pull out a kunai before he walked away and disappeared around the trunk of the tree.

**

* * *

**

**A/N: **Hope you had a pleasant read! Next chapter is cute and fluffy and features a young Team 7 and 8.

See you next chapter! Please review!


	6. Trade Seats with Me

**A/N:** Yea! chapter 6 is finally here! Let me apologize beforehand, this is the fluffiest, most pointless, and non-plot developmental chapters ever... I'm sorry. I never planned to write it, it just came out when I was trying to segway from the previous chapter. I thought about not posting it at all, but felt like that wouldn't do it justice cause I did spend a couple hours on it and it's not horribly written. It's a cute chapter nonetheless.

I hit 30 reviews with the chapter, thank you to all the super amazing reviewers that keep me motivated. You guys rock my socks! haha..

Someone mentioned that they wanted to see more sasuhina in the present, the truth is I kind of dug myself into a hole with that... since Sasuke left with Hebi in the first chapter and Hinata is in Konoha there won't be a present day sasuhina encounter until they cross paths in one of the double digit chapters. I'm sorry, please bear with me!

Lastly, in regards to Hinata's stutter, I hate it with a passion but for the sake of not being OOC Hinata will continue to stutter when she's nervous but not when she's comfortable.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

**

* * *

**

CHAPTER 6: Trade Seats with Me

The small bundle of heat under the tree shuffled quickly before letting out a quiet shudder. Hinata ran her hands along the top of the blanket; she wrung her fingers tightly and pulled it close around her neck to prevent the escape of heat or the entry of cool air. Gently gracing her cheek in the process she felt the morning dew condensed on her skin. _Maybe it wasn't such a bright idea to sleep here_. Forcibly commanding her eyes to open, she looked out through sparse forest of the academy grounds noticing just how beautifully the few sunrays that manage to penetrate the high forest top reflected against the wet dew settled on the grass.

Pulling herself up from underneath the blanket she winced as a waft of unpleasant air crawled up her nose. Something smelled and it smelled bad. Looking down at the blanket she had borrowed from Sasuke curiously, she slowly brought it up to her nose and sniffed. Letting a breath escape in a sigh of relief she dropped the blanket in confirmation of her original thoughts. _There's no way the boy with his own fan base could smell that bad_. She drew her attention to the only other thing the smell could be resonating from. Unzipping the top of her sweater she brought its inside up to her nose and cautiously sniffed, wholeheartedly expecting the smell to be hers.

Hinata cringed in disgust as the air traveled up her nostrils and filled her nasal cavity. That settled it, she stank. Usually after her training sessions she would shower but remembering last night she understood why she smelled so bad. On top of her normal training, she was training with her father. His constant glare made her nervous and the way he criticized and belittled her worsened their training sessions. She would sweat profusely just from his look alone but she was training too and then she ran all the way here without letting up. _God, I need a shower,_ she thought bringing her hands to rub her temples in frustration. Noticing that the sunrise was only starting she figured she had enough time to shower and pack a lunch before classes at the academy started for the day.

Tiredly standing up Hinata grabbed the last remaining bit of blanket that remained on her legs pulling it up with her. She had grabbed the corner of the blanket with the Uchiha fan embroidered on it. Lightly touching her fingers to it she smiled at Sasuke's kind gesture before neatly folding it and placing it on the spot she had slept. It was time to go home and face the music, she'd never stayed out all night before but considering the events that unfolded the night before it was to be expected that she wouldn't go running back home so willingly. There was really nothing to run home to either, a distant father, a competitive sister, an older cousin who hated her, and all the other Hyuuga's who had deemed the heiress a lost cause. To her dismay there was no helping it, she couldn't change the way they felt towards her, all she could do was take each day in stride and improve at least for her own sake.

Once arriving at the Hyuuga compound Hinata let out a heavy sigh before pushing the front gate open. It was still very early in the morning and she was certain most people would still be asleep for at least another half hour giving her just enough time to slip in and out unnoticed, that was the plan. Running stealthily down the hall that led to the portion of the mansion that was designated as home for the main branch of the Hyuuga clan, she bypassed a few doors belonging to her father and sister before entering her own room. Knowing that she didn't have a lot of time to spare she grabbed a change of clothes before heading to the bathroom to wash the repulsive stench off.

Quickly stepping out of the shower she dried off and hastily dressed in her usual baggy attire. By her count she had just over 15 minutes to pack lunch and get out before the inhabitants of the mansion began to wake. Dropping the hairbrush unceremoniously on the bathroom counter the pulled the door open coming face to face with her father as the hairbrush continued to slide under the momentum that had been exerted, falling to the floor with a soft thud. Hinata jumped at the sight of her father and the sound of the hairbrush falling.

"G-good m-morning father" she greeted him meekly.

"You did not return last night"

"I… umm… I f-fell a-asleep-" she was abruptly cut off.

"I do not care where you were" his face bowed slightly to look her over, "But I am glad to see you are unharmed. Now go prepare for class."

"Ah… y-yes father, t-thank you" she bowed politely wide eyed, then walked down the stairs towards the kitchen to prepare her lunch.

Hinata finished packing her lunch as well as her book bag ready to leave before remembering that Sasuke had agreed to help train her and that they'd start after classes let out. A small blush appeared and she hurriedly ran back into the kitchen to pack dinner as well knowing that she would certainly be hungry after training.

* * *

Sasuke dropped his back pack down, unzipped it and picked up the blanket. He attentively eyed the blanket and admired how neatly it had been folded with the Uchiha crest visible on top. He then callously shoved it in his pack and got up to walk in the direction of the academy.

"Sasuke!" the shriek came just as he entered the doors of academy, piercing through his ear in an almost sadistic manner then an arm came out wrapping it around his own. "Walk me to class!"

"No" he stated minimally, pulling his arm back from the pink haired girl's death grip. Just as he reclaimed his arm a vision of a certain Hyuuga came into view then disappeared into the classroom. Quickening his pace he managed to lose the pink haired girl in the crowd of students. He scanned the classroom for the brunette finding her seated by the windows. They had both arrived relatively early in comparison to the other students and most of the seats were still free but even with that, Sasuke chose the seat next to her. He roughly pulled the chair out making sure she noticed him sit down beside her.

"G-good m-morning" she stuttered out shyly making very little eye contact with the Uchiha.

"Morning" he said stoically not even glancing at her, but she didn't seem to be bothered by it, maybe she didn't even notice… "how did you sleep last night?"

"Umm… i-it w-was fine" playing with her fingers she felt the burning sensation in her cheeks intensify. When she looked up he only nodded. She inwardly wondered why he was being so nice to her all of a sudden, was it because he was making up for the previous incident when they first met or did he pity her? Before she could ponder her thoughts any further, her attention was taken away by the mixture of voices calling out Sasuke's name. In a matter of seconds the table they were seated at was bombarded by a large ball of mangled limbs competing for the seat beside him. Arms and legs bursting out from all different directions and reaching aimlessly while the chanting of his name continued to ring through the classroom. Hinata knew of Sasuke's fan-girls and had occasionally seen them in action but never this up close, her eyes widened in fear just as one of the fan-girls managed to pull herself from the mob to claim the seat beside Sasuke. The instant the girl sat down Hinata heard a familiar raspy voice as a flash of blonde bypassed the mob and sat down immediately in front of the girl.

"Sakura! I'm here!" the blonde exclaimed happily, "come sit beside me!"

"No Naruto, go away!"

"Aw… why not Sakura?"

"Just shut up you idiot!" she shot back at him cruelly making Hinata wince slightly upon seeing the hurt expression on the blonde.

After a few minutes of Sakura's chattering in Sasuke's ear, the seats in the room began to fill up. He saw this as a chance to get away from the babbling buffoon. He turned over to Hinata who was absently staring at certain blonde three seats away from her, Sasuke at this point was too desperate to notice her infatuation.

"Trade seats with me" he stated firmly leaving her little room to deny his request… or demand.

She nodded timidly then got up to shuffle behind him while he moved into her now previous seat. Taking the seat which happened to be closer to Naruto she felt the heat rise to her face before she quickly looked down into her lap. Not long after taking Sasuke's seat, Hinata began to feel uncomfortable like someone was staring at her and making no effort to go unseen. It appeared the seat switch had earned Hinata a wide eyed and gaping mouth from the girl to her right. She uneasily pushed her indexes together hoping the girl would turn away.

"Trade seats with _me_" she said authoritatively making Hinata even more agitated.

Sasuke's head shot up instantly at the declaration, a scowl formed on his face showing his displeasure with where the seat switching game was going.

"Umm… a-alright" she agreed hesitantly before getting up to give her seat to the pink head of hair.

Sakura continued her endless stream of nonsense into Sasuke's ear as he menacingly glared at Hinata making her wonder if it was better to be stared at by Sakura than him. That thought dissipated when she realized she was now seated directly behind the blonde fox boy. Her heart began to thump erratically when he turned to look at her with a mischievous smile.

"Trade seats with me Hinata!"

"B-but… I…" was all she managed to say before Naruto began to plead.

"Come on Hinata! Please? Pretty pretty please, can we trade seats?"

She sighed to herself then got up for the third time to switch seats, now she was sitting in front of the one she admired, she couldn't even stare at him anymore. Not only that but Sasuke was clearly peeved at her judging by the menacing scowl which kept growing more menacing as the minutes passed. She had also given her seat up so that Naruto, the one she actually liked, could go and flirt with Sakura. _I really am weak, a total pushover_ she berated herself before realizing how alone she felt all of a sudden. Ironically she was the first one at that table and now she was stuck alone at another table with two other people she was slightly wary of. One of them a brown haired boy with red triangular markings on either of his cheeks, who conversed with dogs apparently considering the way he talked back when his puppy barked. Then the other guy looked even sketchier, he wore sunglasses even indoors and had on a large jacket with a very high collar which nearly covered half his face. Upon closer observation, she noticed a small dot moving over his face then there was another one, she gasped quickly pulling her hand over her mouth to conceal her outburst. _He has bugs crawling on his face and he's not bothered_.

Just as she caught her breath, a white blur entered her visual field and she felt something warm and wet brush her cheek and then it barked.

"Akamaru stop that!" The boy yelled before pulling the dog off of her. The dog only barked in response before attempting to jump Hinata again. She let out a giggle while giving the dog a gentle rub over its head. "He likes you" the dog boy remarked with a grin.

"He's cute. Akamaru right?" she asked receiving a nod in return, "you're really sweet Akamaru." The dog barked in response twice and Hinata let out another giggle just because she couldn't contain herself.

"Hey, by the way my name's Kiba. Nice to meet you!" he finished with a large grin holding his hand out to receive hers.

"It's nice to meet you too, I'm Hinata" she replied happily taking his hand in hers. It wasn't until after Kiba had introduced her to bug boy, who went by the name of Shino that she realized she hadn't stuttered or felt nervous around them. She surprisingly felt really comfortable around the two she had previously labeled "sketchy".

* * *

Up behind Shino, Kiba, and Hinata was an irritated Sasuke watching the exchange between the three and a dog. He was displeased with how things had turned out, stuck beside an obnoxious girl who wouldn't stop invading his space, stuck listening to empty threats from the blonde seated on Sakura's other side, and stuck watching someone else enjoy Hinata's company. As much as he hated to admit it, she was probably the only one who he actually liked having around. She didn't talk much like himself, but she was still company and in his world she was the perfect type of company: quiet and not annoying.

The Uchiha felt a sudden urge to get up and demand dog boy trade seats with him but before he could do just that Iruka entered the room taking his place at the front of the class telling everyone to settle for the day's lessons. Sasuke let out a breath of pure satisfaction when the annoying voice of the pink haired girl had ceased.

* * *

**A/N:** Was it cute? Did you like it? Was it just mildly tolerable? hmmm... Let me know in your reviews!

Oh and I promise it gets better after this and has more plot development and dare I say it... drama.


	7. Food Soothes the Soul

**A/N:** Another chapter, am I a good updater? meh... I've got nothing better to do..

Thanks again to all reviewers and a very very special thanks to the handful of faithful reviewers who have reviewed multiple times, I'm extremely appreciative!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**CHAPTER 7: Food Soothes the Soul**

They danced around each other jabbing and dodging. Sasuke was fast even in his years at the academy but he wasn't too fast that Hinata couldn't keep up.

He was pleasantly surprised that she for the most part was able to keep up with him, sure he was still going easy on her but from their conversation the previous night his expectations were nowhere near this. He continued to throws strikes towards her at any opening he saw and there were a lot of them but she was able to dodge only taking direct hits a small fraction of the time. Even more astonishing was that she was able to counter a handful of his attacks and nearly make contact with him.

They had met up not long after the classes were over. He had arrived before her and was slightly annoyed by the fact, considering they were let out at the same time. She had stayed behind for a bit to talk to dog boy, which of course Sasuke didn't deem was a justifiable reason for tardiness but nonetheless he didn't say anything when she had arrived.

The location of the tree was a suitable place to train. The area around the tree was bare like this particular tree was the center of the forest and it was the crown gem that no other tree dare to grow near. The space wasn't as large as the training grounds that official ninjas used, the radius was only about 20feet, but it was sufficient for their training.

"You have too many openings" Sasuke said quickly while charging forward to prove his point. Hinata let out a gasp as his fist collided with her shoulder, if she had not moved she surely would've gotten that fist in her face. "See what I mean?"

"Y-yea" she nodded then got back into her gentle fist stance. Generally, the gentle fist technique was pretty useless without being able to see the chakra systems but it was the only one she knew.

"Ok, come and attack again" just as he finished his statement he was jumping backwards with every push of his feet while Hinata lunged at him throwing a fury of attacks. He easily dodged all of them. "Good now look for an opening."

She continued her onslaught but stopped on her spot just inches from him when his hand went down to his weapons pouch, gracefully she spun on the toes of her feet coming to his right side where his hand was pulling out a kunai, she brought her palm forcefully to his shoulder causing him to drop the weapon.

"Ouch, you got me" he said jokingly with a smirk on his face while rubbing his shoulder.

"Oh, s-sorry"

"Don't apologize, that was a good spar"

They had been sparring for a few hours now and it was starting to become obvious that both were beginning to feel fatigued.

"Did you bring dinner?" he asked making his way over to his pack.

"Yea"

"Then let's eat"

"O-ok"

She went over to her bag and pulled out the meal she had packed, gently opening the lid to admire the selection she had prepared. They were both seated not far from each other under the tree when she noticed his meal was simple and probably not as nourishing as it should be, consisting of some rice accompanied by a few pieces of bread. It reminded her of Naruto and how she had seen him only eat instant ramen from a Styrofoam cup. Realizing later that it was probably because he had no parents to help prepare proper meals. She had a parent to help but Hyuuga Hiashi would never set foot in the kitchen besides she enjoyed preparing her own meals anyway.

"S-sasuke?" she asked timidly inducing a curious expression on his face. "Is t-that a-all you e-eat?"

"Yea, why?" he looked suspicious now.

"D-do you w-want some of m-mine?" she said pushing her container towards him.

He could feel the insides of his mouth water at the delectable sight before him but he abruptly refused for the sake of his pride.

"Y-you n-need to e-eat more… here…" she leaned closer to his meal and began transferring portions of hers into his container.

"Are you going to feed me too?"

"Just eat" she said giggling at the joke he just made. _Uchiha Sasuke made a joke! Alright it was just sarcasm but still, who would've thought_

After they had finished eating, they continued to train until the sun began to set, casting a spectrum of warm colors across the sky.

* * *

"Umm… by t-the way, I b-brought you s-some b-breakfast," Hinata said while pulling out a container and handing it to Sasuke.

"I already had breakfast"

"oh…" she said in a defeated manner. "I… I'll j-just leave i-it if y-you get hungry" placing the container by a large root of the tree protruding out of the ground. "A-alright then I'll b-be going t-to class now."

"Yea, Ok bye"

"B-bye"

They had agreed to meet before classes started to train on account of Hinata having plans after classes with a certain dog boy and bug boy. Sasuke wasn't too fond of the concept of early morning training. First off, it was too early for his liking and he surely was not a morning person, secondly there were limited hours in the morning to train and there was only so much he could accomplish training by himself after classes. He needed a training partner and he needed more time to train with her.

He sighed in frustration at the diminishing form in the distance. Their morning training session had not even been rigorous. When he couldn't see her anymore, Sasuke turned to look at the meal she had left for him, swallowing his pride he lunged for it like a lion hunting its prey. He did have breakfast but his simple meal left a lot to be desired and if her breakfast was anything like the dinner she packed last night then there would be no use resisting. He viciously tore the cover off and began stuffing his face while taking in the aroma that tickled at his nose and accentuated the various tastes in his mouth. He swallowed his pride once more before admitting that he was glad she has packed him a breakfast and he inwardly hoped she'd do it again.

When he had finally finished eating, which was a matter of minutes; he packed up his stuff and headed off into the direction of the academy. Just like any other day, the hoards of fan-girls were out in full force. Sakura and Ino had found him trying to slip in through a back entrance when they began claiming each arm for themselves and started an impromptu tug-of-war.

"Let go of my arms!" he yelled resonating anger that could easily be felt miles away, but the girls remained unfazed having grown accustomed to his spurts.

"Oh, Sasuke, I know you don't what me to let go" Ino said to him flirtatiously "just get billboard brow to let go and we can walk to class together."

"Shut up Ino-pig!" she snapped back, flaring her nose.

"You shut up billboard brow!"

"Both of you let go of my arms!"

Just then Shikamaru walked by with a young Choji munching on potato chips.

"How troublesome…" he sighed while observing the commotion.

"Shut up you lazy bum or I'll ring your neck so hard your head falls off" Ino yelled at the lazy boy while emanating as much fear provoking aura as possible.

"What's so great about him?" Choji eyed Sasuke curiously "he's so skinny, does he even eat?"

"He's not skinny!" Sakura shouted back in Sasuke's defense "he's only skinny to you because you're so fat Choji."

At this point both girls had released Sasuke's arm and left to go argue with the two other boys. The fat one in particularly seemed to be infuriated at this point.

"She said the word… how troublesome…"

* * *

Having finally escaped from the clutches of crazy and crazier, he swiftly went towards the classroom, planting himself on the seat next to Naruto who was directly in front of Hinata, who was sitting with dog boy and bug boy, he grimaced.

As per usual, Hinata had taken to admiring Naruto from behind and only nodded briefly to greet Sasuke when he had arrived. Although it hadn't been verbally agreed, it was as if a silent pact was made between the sparring partners, neither of them really associated with each other outside of training, only throwing the other a simple nod here and there, even the morning before when they sat together they had only briefly exchanged words and it wasn't enough for anyone to take notice of. Their association would remain this way as they continued training.

Hinata figured it was best not to flaunt their… _friendship?_ _Maybe not, how about acquaintanceship?_ She certainly did not want her father to find out that she had taken up training with an Uchiha and it didn't seem like Sasuke wanted anyone to know that he was being kind enough to train poor little Hyuuga Hinata. Then there's the issue of his fan-girls who may just be fanatical enough to make sure she never trained with him again by whatever means necessary. _Yea, it's definitely better this way_, she thought before turning her attention back to the blonde in front of her.

Sasuke on the other hand had taken to masking his emotions with a permanent scowl or blatantly wearing his emotions on his scowl, it could go either way. Sasuke really only showed two expressions: a scowl or a smirk, the scowl being the expression that was utilized most often. He scowled at Naruto then dog boy and bug boy, who he had yet to learn the names of. Inwardly he could sense a surge of contempt while he eyed each of the boys surrounding his sparring partner. Eventually he had to stop scowling because Hinata had taken noticed and giggled at his antics, but what was he suppose to do? There were other guys honing in on his territory, at this rate he would lose his chance at sparring against the Byakugan or so he told himself.

The day went by quickly and Hinata had gone off with dog boy and bug boy, muttering something about ramen and studying. Sasuke decided to make good on his promise to himself and went off towards the tree to get some training in before nightfall. When he arrived he pulled out a Kunai and began marking X's sporadically around the tree's bark, then when he was finished he stepped back and pulled out shurikens, each of them individually placed on a finger. He then began a run around the tree so that hitting the targets would be more difficult, he was compensating for lack of moving targets. When he had exhausted the shurikens and kunai in his pouch he would stop and remove them all and start all over again.

A few hours later, when he had performed the same routine dozens of times his stomach let out a loud growl indicating its hunger. Deciding to give in to his stomach's demands for food, he made his way over to his pack and pulled out a small container of rice and bread. Shortly after popping the lid open he heard light footsteps approaching. Not far off in the distance he could make out the figure approaching; it was Hinata.

"Umm… I t-thought you m-might b-be hungry…" she said timidly kneeling down a few feet away from Sasuke, "I p-packed some d-dinner for y-you." She pulled out two food containers out of the pack she had in front of her.

"I brought my own dinner" he eyed her suspiciously, "why are you packing me meals?"

She gasped unexpectedly at his question before playing with her fingers. "I-it's the l-least I c-could do."

"Least you could do?"

"Yea… b-because y-you're helping m-me train and a-all"

"But you're helping by training with me too"

"O-oh, b-but umm…" she paused in deep thought, _why can't I just be nice? Is there something wrong with being nice?!_ "y-you a… umm… you n-need a b-better m-meal than just r-rice and b-bread."

"So then you're saying my meals aren't good enough for your standards?" he finished with a smirk.

"N-no… I d-didn't mean i-it l-like that…" Hinata said nervously waving her hands in front of her.

"Yea it is. You don't think my meals are good enough" Sasuke enjoyed watching her squirm nervously while a deep red blush engulfed her face, he enjoyed teasing her.

"I… I…"

"What is it? Spit it out, tell me what's wrong with my food" his devious smirk still present on his face.

"C-can't I…"

"Stop stuttering and spit it out already, we'll be here all night at this rate" he teased her while observing the implications of his words.

"CAN'T I JUST BE NICE?!" she said out loudly without even a stutter, surprising herself. Deciding this newfound confidence could help her cause, she continued "I mean, here I am trying to be nice by taking the time to pack you meals and you're being ungrateful!"

When she had finished berating Sasuke about his manners, she had folded her arms across her chest and turned her face to look away from him. Sasuke in contrast held an expression of absolute amusement, a smirk still plastered across his lips as he continued to eye the Hyuuga heiress.

"Fine, you win" he stated simply reaching for one of the containers she had placed between them, "didn't know you could get so scary" he said jokingly causing her to blush slightly more.

"Tch, just say thank you" she commanded.

"Bossy bossy, aren't we?" he shot back teasingly, "You know… I like you better when you're not stuttering, it suits you better."

Hinata's blush grew deeper as she felt any confidence that she had previously acquired melt into a pool of embarrassment.

They sat quietly together and began their meals, each thoroughly savoring each bite as well as the pleasant silent peace of each other's company.

"So, are you going to keep packing me meals?" He said slyly adorning his signature smirk.

"I guess… it's quite obvious you don't know how to pack your own food" she shot back at him proudly; she was able to tease him back.

He let out a slight chuckle knowing that she was teasing him, "well isn't it usually the case that girlfriends pack meals for their boyfriends?" he paused to observe the new shade of red her face had turned, "so does that make you my girlfriend?"

"What?... n-no" her stutter was back "I.. I w-was j-just b-being n-nice, I m-mean… w-we're n-not l-like t-that…"

"You get flustered so easily" he chuckled "I was just kidding; besides we're only 12. We're too young for that stuff, right?"

"y-yea, of c-course" Hinata let out a loud sigh of relief. _He's so mean, teasing me like that_, she thought.

They continued eating and unbeknownst to Hinata, Sasuke had begun taking glances of her in between bites admiring how the slight tinge of pink on her cheeks gave her a sweet and inviting aura that he couldn't help but feel compelled to stare.

"S-sasuke?"

"Yea?"

"C-can I ask you a question?"

"What question?"

"Well, you don't have to answer if you d-don't want to…." She nervously pushed her indexes together "I, umm… want to ask about y-your f-family…"

"You want to know about the murder of my clan?"

"Y-you don't have to a-answer if you d-don't want t-to"

"It's alright, I don't mind telling you" he paused, clearly in deep thought as he pulled his tragic memories out of the deep crevasses where they've been shoved away, "I stayed after class at the academy that day to train, so I was rushing home. When I got into the Uchiha compound I found the other members of the clan dead in the street, then I ran home and found my parents dead and standing over them was my brother Itachi. He killed my entire clan and left me alive to become an avenger, my ambition is only to kill him and resurrect the Uchiha clan."

"Oh, so it is true how everyone says it"

"Yea, my entire clan was wiped out by my older brother, he left me as the avenger" he stopped to look at her saddened face and then shoveled some more food into his mouth, "since I told you about my family, why don't you tell me about yours?"

"Umm… what do you want to know?"

"What's with your father and… your sister…. And there was one more you mentioned…" He frowned while trying to remember who she had mentioned the night he found her crying.

"And my cousin?"

"Yea, probably"

"Well, my father has really high expectations of me and he's always disappointed with me no matter how much I work. He's always telling me how weak I am and constantly comparing me to my little sister. He's completely given up on me, I don't think he'll dare let me inherit the clan title when I turn 18, he'll probably rather give it to my sister instead."

"Don't listen to what he says"

"I know" she stopped to observe a nod from Sasuke signally her to continue, "anyway, because of all that my sister treats me like she's better than me and is constantly competing with me, belittling me. Then there's my cousin Neji, who just flat out hates me."

"He hates you?" Sasuke asked curiously.

She nodded before continuing, "yup, he _hates_ me, you see in the Hyuuga clan there are two families: the main family and the branch family. The branch are given seals and destined to live their lives to serve the main family and because he's a branch family member and I'm part of the main family he hates me."

"And your mom? Does she hate you too?"

"No… my mom died giving birth to Hanabi, my sister, but other than her everyone in my family hates me. They all have given up on me."

Sasuke only nodded gently to acknowledge what she had just said. "Well, I guess it's alright if you don't give up on yourself."

"Yea, you're right"

"Of course I'm right" Sasuke said arrogantly, inducing a few giggle from the Hyuuga heiress.

He contemplated what to do next when she slowly swiveled around and met his gaze with a weak smile, she was still blushing madly. The silence among them was likely the most awkward moment they had shared in their short but meaningful relationship. Fortunately for both, it was broken by a loud grumbling of Hinata's stomach.

* * *

**A/N:** This chapter was mostly them getting to know each other, not a whole lot happened... anyway, just out of curiosity, what comes to mind if I say 'duck butt'?

Hope you enjoy and please review!


	8. Make Me a Promise

**A/N:** Ok, in regards to the duck butt. I had such a good laugh reading the responses, especially when someone mentioned his hair also resembles a chicken's butt. That got me thinking, he could also be likened to many other fine feathered friends: chicken butt, seagull butt, pigeon butt, swan butt... any others? I thought it was funny, but for this chapter I will be sticking to duck butt.

Someone mentioned that the last chapter was rushed and I agree, I hadn't thought about it at the time. I'm just trying to finish to past arc before jumping back to the present, I will try not to rush things anymore.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**CHAPTER 8: Make Me a Promise**

It had been just over two months since Uchiha Sasuke and Hyuuga Hinata had started training together. He could still vividly remember the night they had mutually confided with each other about their family ills, the murder of his clan and the mistreatment she earned from her family. It didn't take him long to realize how alike they really were and that only made their partnership more meaningful. They were capable of understanding each other better than anyone else and he found this reassuring.

Who would have ever guessed that the Uchiha survivor would get along so well with the Hyuuga heiress? Both were relatively quiet and didn't enjoy the presence of large crowds, instead they were more than happy to just sit in silence, both reigning from two of Konoha's most noble clans, albeit both clans were deeply rooted in tragedy, both possessing advanced bloodline limits, both suffered under fathers they could never please, and both constantly competed with their sibling to be better than them in an effort to please their fathers. Mind you since the Uchiha massacre, Sasuke did not really have a father to please or a brother to compete with, nonetheless he found himself relating his life to hers.

Their training sessions had continued to go smoothly, meeting early mornings and after classes to spar. Hinata continued to pack him meals everyday they met and the meals were always perfect. During the two months, they continued to keep their relationship secret, rarely seen together in public. Their partnership was the best for both of them, he didn't feel so alone anymore and had found someone to confide in, someone he actually liked having around. Hinata had become more confident with herself, she no longer stuttered around him and didn't hesitate to speak what she really felt. Specifically there was that one time where she had likened the back part of his hair, the part that stood upwards, to that of a duck's butt. Then when he had taken it for an insult she mentioned that she liked ducks and thought they were cute.

It had only been two days since their last spar; Hinata had awakened her Byakugan during that last session. That day she had asked him to go all out and to not even think about going easy on her and he agreed.

- - FLASHBACK - -

They had sparred for about an hour, punching and dodging. After Hinata had landed a weak hit on Sasuke's stomach he jumped up into a tree.

"You're hiding?" she asked mockingly, listening for any sound that would notify her of his location.

Seconds later Sasuke jumped off the branch above her, his hand held to his mouth as he blew flames down to her front and continued to glide over her and then finally landing behind her. She jumped backwards to avoid the flames when suddenly she could hear whistles of shuriken stars coming in her direction from behind. Left with no options she closed her eyes tightly bracing herself for the stars to impact.

However, just before the stars were too close to be avoided, she found that she was able to see each and every one that Sasuke had thrown. She opened her lavender eye wide and proceeded to dodge or knock the stars down with the kunai she held. After all the commotion had ceased she could clearly see Sasuke standing before her with a dumbfounded expression glazed over his face.

"Hi-Hinata…" he pointed at her face while walking closer to her, "your face… your e-eyes… they're all veiny."

"I can see!" she announced excitedly, "I can see everything around me! I can see your chakra system!"

"Is that the Byakugan?"

"Yea, I've awakened my Byakugan!" she said out happily throwing her arms around Sasuke, pulling him into a tight embrace, "thank you Sasuke! Thank you for training me!"

- - END FLASHBACK - -

The two days since they've trained were a much deserved break for Hinata. It was the day that Hinata's father finally decided to confront her about where she had been going off to the last two months. She felt no obligation to answer him, just resentment; it had taken him an entire two months to be concerned about her whereabouts. Decidedly, she answered him modestly with no intentions of revealing the unnecessary details of her training.

"I've been training"

"You've been training?" he raised a brow at her, receiving a nod in response "by yourself?"

"Y-yes, father"

"Very well then, you may do as you please but don't go getting your hopes up" he said coldly before dismissing her.

"Yes, I u-understand f-father" she replied timidly turning around to take her leave. There was still a lot of training she needed to accomplish before she could feel satisfied with herself, before she would be able to meet her father's expectation, awakening the Byakugan alone was not enough.

The pair continued their training for the next three months, keeping with the same routine they had established. Morning and afternoon training sessions consisted of sparring, accuracy training, and agility training. Sasuke would throw stars at her and she would dodge them using her Byakugan. When they sparred, Hinata used her Byakugan along with her gentle fist technique, picking out the chakra points in his system and attempting to close them. Her attempts proved futile, she would need proper training from an experienced Byakugan user and on top of that Sasuke had grown quite adept at predicting her movements.

"Let's take a break to eat" Sasuke said holding a hand out to help her up from the ground. They had trained to the point of exhaustion and Hinata had collapse once Sasuke had stopped attacking.

"Yea, ok" she agreed reaching out for his hand.

"Oi, Hinata you're so heavy!" he joked pretending that he was having a great deal of difficulty pulling her up.

"Shut up, Duck butt hair" sending him a soft slap across his arm when he finally pulled her up.

"Alright, alright… no need to break out the name calling"

"Whatever duck butt, let's just eat" she giggled as she walked towards her pack for the meals she had packed.

They settled down at their respective spots under their tree and began to eating when Hinata broke the silence.

"Umm… I think…" she paused to search for the right words, Sasuke smiled at her encouragingly "I think I need to ask my father to train me again."

"Oh, why?"

"I can't properly use the Byakugan…" she pulled her faced down in disappointment "I need him to teach me how to use it."

"Oh I see" he replied with a saddened expression, "so you won't be training with me anymore?"

"No, that's not it. I still want to train with you, I like training with you" she looked up at him and smiled genuinely, "I'll just be training with him as well that's all."

"Alright, as long as you don't quit being my training partner"

"I won't"

"Good" he shifted himself to sit closely beside her, mere inches apart "but could you make me a promise first?"

"Umm…s-sure" she stuttered, blushing at his closeness. He then leaned down to whisper into her ear, as his words registered in her mind a soft smile graced her pink tinted face and she nodded gently "ok Sasuke, but only if you make me the same promise too."

"Alright it's a promise, shake on it" he said slyly holding out his hand to seal the deal, she complied and took it.

* * *

Hiashi sat behind his large desk in his luxurious office. A soft knock on the large wooden double doors drew his attention from his work.

"Come in" he finished and the door slowly opened revealing his eldest daughter, the Hyuuga heiress.

"G-good e-evening father" she bowed politely.

"Yes, what is it you want?" he asked distantly.

"I… I w-wish t-to have y-you train m-me again" continuing to hold her head down not daring to look him in the eye.

"Why would I do such a thing?" he stood up and walked to the front of his desk "I made it clear that I would not train someone as weak as you."

"Father, I am n-not like I w-was b-before"

"Really and is that because you have been training?" he eyed his daughter curiously.

"Y-yes, I've p-progressed f-from the w-way I w-was before"

"Very well, I'd like to see this progress of yours and then I'll be the judge" he walked towards the doors "come, you will show why you want me to train you."

They walked out towards a clear area on the Hyuuga compound primarily reserved for training, each taking their stances at either end.

"Let us begin" he said then charged forward towards Hinata.

She leaped back dodging each and every one of his attacks before finding an opening and began attacking. Minutes passed by and to Hiashi's surprise he still had yet to make contact with her. They continued their spar, alternating between attacking and defensive formations. It hadn't been until they were well into their spar that Hiashi had finally landed a hit on Hinata throwing her several feet backwards falling face down.

"I am pleased. There is no doubt that you have improved immensely."

"I'm n-not d-done yet" she replied pushing herself up, her back still turned to him "Byakugan" she said audibly making sure he had heard her clearly.

"Byakugan?" he asked. Just as he finished she had stood up and turned to face him. Lavender eyes against Lavender eyes, Hinata's eyes were wide open proudly accompanied by various veins protruding around them. "Hinata… you've awakened your Byakugan?"

"Yes father"

"Well, all I can say is I am very pleased with the progress you have made" he walked over to his daughter and placed his hand on her shoulder, "very well, I agree to train you."

"T-thank you f-father" she bowed down.

"You may leave now; we will start your training tomorrow when you return from school"

"Y-yes, t-thank you f-father" and with that she ran out of the patch of training ground and sped into the house, leaving behind a smiling Hyuuga Hiashi.

* * *

The month had flown by so fast that neither had even realized that they had officially been training together for six entire months, of course their training schedule changed slightly the last month because Hinata had also taken up training with her father.

They had grown accustomed to meeting up just before the sun set, training straight into the night. It was a welcomed change, giving both a chance to test their skills under the blanket of darkness. On this particular night they were working on Hinata's Byakugan, Sasuke hid in the tree branches throwing shuriken and kunai for her to block. The first time they had tried this sort of training Sasuke had had to stop some of the stars himself because she wasn't prepare to do so, but Hinata had become adept at finding the projectiles in the dark and avoiding them.

Sasuke was stooped down on a tree branch waiting for the perfect moment to throw the shuriken idly sitting on his fingers. When the sound of a scurrying squirrel captured her attention he took the opportunity to throw the stars then immediately jumped to another branch while still throwing various weapons. He continued this until he reached a position with her back to him, then he quickly threw his last kunai. To his surprise she didn't move to dodge it or block it, it was going straight for her back and she wasn't moving.

"Hinata, behind you!" he yelled out, warning her.

Just as she heard his voice and turned to see the kunai coming straight for her back, she made one last effort to dodge it.

"ahh" she yelped in pain as she fell to the ground.

"Hinata! Are you ok?!" Sasuke rushed to her side worriedly.

"I didn't see it" she gasped.

"Where did it hit you?"

"My leg... it hurts"

"Let me see" he pulled up her blood soaked pant leg to her knee and took in the deep gash the kunai had left "it's a pretty deep cut; we need to get you to the hospital."

"It's ok Sasuke, I can get there on my own" she winced as she attempted to stand up but her leg gave out underneath her and she went crashing down into Sasuke's arm.

"You can't walk, let me take you to the hospital"

"No you can't" she tried to push herself out of his arms.

"Why? Then let me take you home"

"Because if anyone sees me with you, I wouldn't be able to step foot in my own home again"

"Oh… they hate me that much eh?" Hinata nodded weakly, "then how about I take you to my home, I can clean and stitch it there, I've stitched my own wounds before."

"W-what if someone sees us?" Hinata asked as her face wore a bleak expression.

"No one will, no one ever really enters the Uchiha compound" he pulled out a napkin from her pack and tied it around her lower leg, "is that alright with you?"

"Ok"

"K, here grab on" he knelt down with his back to her face.

"Huh?" she looked at him with puzzlement.

"Put your arms around my neck, haven't you ever gotten a piggyback ride?"

"Umm… no, not really" she wrapped her arms loosely around his neck as he rose up holding her legs around his waist.

"Ready?"

"Yea"

He walked her out of the forest out onto the barren streets of Konoha that led to the empty Uchiha compound.

**

* * *

**

**A/N:** I think you know where this is going... we're almost out of the past. The next chapter will have some drama.

See you next week! Please review! (Anonymous reviews have now been enabled because I just realized they were disabled... hehe)


	9. Never Again

**A/N:** Firstly, THANK YOU to all the reviewers! I always have a smile on my face when I read your reviews, even the contructive criticisms!

This chapter has what could be considered the first climatic scene, expect some sasuhina drama and another piggyback ride, hehe. It plays into present day Sasuke's cold and stoic demeanor. After this chapter the next will start in the past and finish in the present and then we'll go from there. I'm excited, we're almost out of the past! By the way, I have no intention of revealing the promise they made until near the end. If it works out then it'll be revealed in the last scene which I have planned in my head already. But once you find out the promise Sasuke made Hinata agree to, you'll love Sasuke even more for being such a sweetie!

**Typical Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**CHAPTER 9: Never Again**

"Don't worry" he said opening up the small first aid kit he had brought out of the washroom, "I've done this before."

Hinata lay face down on his bed, her calf exposed to give him better access to the wound. Her entire body was tense, fearing the incoming pain, fearing the idea of being in an Uchiha household, and fearing the potential consequences that could arise from everything that had transpired that night.

"Is it g-going to h-hurt?"

"Yea"

"Ughhh..." she cried out dipping her face deep into his pillow.

"I'm kidding" he felt a kick from her unwounded leg, _teasing her is fun_; he thought "it'll hurt when I clean it but I'll put on some of that cream that numbs the pain."

"Anesthesia?" she asked curiously popping her head up from his pillow.

"Yea, that thing"

"Are you sure you know how to do this?" he could see the uneasiness on her face.

"I've told you already, I've stitched my own wounds before so you don't need to worry"

"O-ok…"

"Ok then, I'm going to clean it now" he saw her nod slightly in his pillow, "brace yourself."

Sasuke slowly brought the rubbing alcohol soaked cotton ball down to the gash across her calf. Her body instantly tensed, she let out a few muffled sounds into his pillow while gripping it tightly on either ends resisting the urge to forcibly remove Sasuke so that the stinging would cease. A few minutes later she felt the cotton ball lift from her wound and the stinging slowly subsided.

"There, it should be safe from infection now"

"That took too long… it hurt"

"I was making sure I cleaned it well" he smirked at her head which was slightly propped up and glaring at him, "you should be grateful."

He got up to discard the cotton ball then returned grabbing a white colored tube from the kit along with a pair of latex gloves.

"I'm going to put the what-you-call-it cream on now" squeezing the tube gently, he brought his index finger up to gather a small bit and then began rubbing it over the wound.

"Anesthesia" she replied.

"Yea… A-NEES-THEE-ZEE-A" he heard her giggle lightly, "once it's numb let me know"

"Ok"

Minutes passed by before Sasuke poked her wound and received no reaction. He warned her before he started stitching, once he had finished he bandaged it.

"Alright, it's all done"

Hinata pushed herself up from his bed to observe his handiwork, he had done a better job than she had expected.

"You must be really clumsy" she muttered stifling a giggle.

"Huh?"

"I mean, you did a good job so you must be really experienced which means you hurt yourself a lot" no longer able to hold in her giggles, they spewed out provoking a brow raising expression from the Uchiha.

"I stitched your wound and you make fun of me in return?" he sighed "so ungrateful."

Hinata's laughter grew louder, "it was a compliment."

"Suuuure, a _compliment._" his statement was emanating sarcasm.

"Yes, it was a compliment" she moved to get off his bed.

"What are you doing?"

"I need to get home" she attempted to stand but her leg buckled and she fell back onto his bed.

"You can't walk home like this, just stay here" he helped her sit upright on the edge of the bed, "there are spare rooms."

"I can't do that. I need to get home before people start looking for me"

"So how do you expect to get home?" he asked curiously.

"C-can you carry me home please?" her eyes pleading him to say yes.

"Why don't you just rest and I can carry you home in the morning?"

"Cause I don't want anyone to see me with you"

"You don't want anyone to see me with you?" he questioned, slightly hurt by her reasoning.

"There will be trouble if people see us together, so could you please take me home now while it's still dark?" she pleaded.

"Fine, grab on" he stated coldly leaning down in front of her so she could wrap her arms around him for another piggyback.

Once she had settled herself on his back comfortably they left the Uchiha compound en route to the Hyuuga compound.

"Thank you Sasuke" she whispered into his ear.

* * *

She twisted in her bed sheets trying to find a comfortable position that wouldn't cause the pain in her leg to worsen. _I give up!_ She sighed loudly throwing the blanket off her body. Turning to place her feet of the floor on the side of her bed she attentively looked at the area of the wound wondering if it would be a bad idea to try and stand up. Slowly she placed her hand on the end table to help keep herself balanced in case her legs caved underneath her. She rose up distributing most of her weight on her unwounded leg, _so far so good_,she thought. She then stepped forwards towards her door, once confident that she would not keel over she took her hand off the end table and limped out towards the washroom.

"Tch, what happened to you? Tripped over your own feet?" a small voice asked her dripping of malice, "can't say I'm surprised."

Exiting the washroom was a younger girl with long black hair and the same eyes as Hinata.

"W-what are y-you doing Hanabi?" Hinata was surprised, her sister never got up this early.

"Father is training me later so I was getting ready" she replied indifferently.

"Oh, I see"

"Hinata, what happened to your leg?" both girls turned in the direction of the deep male voice.

Hinata jumped, frightened by the sudden presence of her father. Her heart began pounding rapidly as sweat trickled down the back of her neck. How was she going to answer him? She couldn't just outright say that she was injured training with Sasuke.

"Umm… I w-was…I f-fell while t-training l-last night father" she stated nervously bowing her head down.

"You fell?" he sighed, disappointed at her response.

"Y-yes father, it h-happen when I-" she was abruptly cut off by his voice.

"I don't care to hear what happened, I suppose you won't be able to train for awhile just go back to bed" he was clearly angered by her mishap.

"Yes father" Hinata limped back into her room relieved that the topic of a certain Uchiha never surfaced.

* * *

Hiashi paced the floor of his office fuming, he had just received news from a Hyuuga elder who had went out the evening before for a stroll and witnessed something that should not have been witnessed. He was informed that his eldest daughter, the Hyuuga heiress, was in company of Uchiha Sasuke and they were walking in the direction of the Uchiha compound.

Hiashi was absolutely livid when word of the event reached his ears. How could Hinata associate herself with the Uchiha survivor? He hailed from a broken clan, through his veins run the same blood as that of his brother Itachi, the one solely responsible for the demise of an entire clan. Itachi single handedly extinguished one of Konoha's noble clans, one of Konoha's stongest clans, the clan that held the powerful Sharingan. For the Hyuuga heiress to make such associations was unthinkable and unacceptable.

Itachi was capable of betraying an entire village; he was capable of murdering his family without hesitation, what of Sasuke? He holds the same desires to grow stronger; surely he would not hesitate to do the same as his older brother. And if his daughter and the Uchiha were as close as the Hyuuga elder perceived them to be then there is a chance their relationship may transcend that of just a friendship. _I cannot have Hyuuga blood tainted by that of Uchiha blood, for the sake of the clan, for the sake of the Byakuygan, for the sake of the Hyuuga heiress, those two must stay apart_. His thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on his large wooden double doors.

"You may enter" he spoke sternly.

The door gently swung open revealing the Hyuuga heiress limping in. "Y-you c-called for m-me father?"

"Yes, there is something of concern that I wish to discuss with you"

"Oh, is s-something wrong f-father?" she limped over to a chair and sat down.

"It has come to my attention that you have grown too close to Uchiha Sasuke"

Hinata eyes widened in shock, fear ran through every inch of her. She then shut her eyes in a poor attempt the hold back the tears that were fighting to seep out, he hadn't even said anything yet but she knew what this was all about, she knew how he felt about the Sasuke, she knew what was to come of this 'discussion'.

"H-how?" she stuttered out weakly.

"How I know is irrelevant, but what is relevant is that what you're doing is unacceptable" he continued to glare at her, "I cannot permit you to continue seeing the Uchiha, he will only turn on you, he will betray you and this village just as his brother did."

"N-no… y-you don't know that… you don't know h-him" her cheeks now flushed as tears rolled down.

"I know better than you think I do, for the sake of this clan you must stay away from that boy. It is your responsibility as the Hyuuga heiress. Do you understand?"

"B-but f-father…"

"DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" he repeated himself, harsh undertones demanding the 'correct' answer.

"Y-yes f-father…" she bowed her head down and clenched her hands on her lap, "I… I un-understand"

"Good, you are dismissed" his demeanor faltered slightly when he saw her grim eyes look into his, "is there other business you wish to discuss?"

She shook her head then opened her mouth to speak, "c-can I at t-the very l-least say good b-bye to h-him… to Sasuke?"

"If that is what you wish, I will grant that but you will relinquish all ties with the Uchiha after that, do I make myself clear?"

"Y-yes father, I w-will take my leave n-now" she stood up and walked out closing the door behind her. Once she heard the click of the door shut she immediately sped off towards her room, ignoring the stinging pain of the wound. In a sense, she could not feel the pain of the wound; it had been overtaken by an aching deep within her chest.

* * *

It had been nearly a week since he had last seen Hinata and Sasuke was wondering if her wound was healing properly, the sooner it healed, the sooner she'd come back to train with him. In all honesty he was starting to get bored by himself, although he was not desperate enough to socialize with any fan-girls. He just wanted Hinata to come back, he wanted to see her smile and laugh, he wanted to hear her say his name he didn't even mind if she called him 'duck butt', he wanted to eat her delicious packed meals…

His head shot up, he watched from his spot underneath the tree as a petite figure approached him.

"Sasuke…" the apprehension was clearly evident in her voice.

"What's wrong Hinata?" he asked anxiously, "have you been crying?"

"I…" she broke into a fit of sobs, tears pouring down either cheek "I c-can't see y-you anymore"

"What do you mean you can't see me anymore Hinata?" his voice reeked of uneasiness. She only shook her head unable to talk though the sobs and shallow breaths, he grabbed her shoulders and shook her "answer me Hinata!"

She turned her face down avoiding contact with his dark onyx eyes "someone saw us together… I c-can't train with you anymore, w-we can't even be f-friends anymore."

"Why?!" he shook her again "why does it matter if someone saw us?!"

"They won't allow me to be with you, your history, your clan… we can't be friends anymore Sasuke"

"Do you hear yourself Hinata?!" he was angry now "this is your choice not theirs, they can't tell you how to live your life, your _father_ can't tell you what to do!"

"I have to do as they say Sasuke!" she yelled back at him pushing his hands off her shoulder, "I'm the heiress! I'm responsible for the future of my clan as much as my father is!"

"Oh really?! And what do I have to do with the future of your clan huh?!"

"You... y-you're…" she stopped.

"See! You don't even know! You're mindlessly following orders that don't even make sense!" he seethed.

"I'm… sorry Sasuke"

"NO! Take that back! Take back everything you said Hinata!" he cried out not making any attempts to hide the tears flooding on the corners of his eyes, "what about the promise?! You made me a promise! This goes against everything you promised me!"

"I can't k-keep the p-promise Sasuke, not under these conditions, not as the Hyuuga heiress"

"You made me a damn promise Hinata!" tears streamed down his cheeks.

"I'm sorry Sasuke!" she yelled back through her sobs. She quickly pulled a container out of her pack and threw it down, she then turned around and ran out the forest, "good bye Sasuke" she whispered under her breath.

"You know what Hinata?! I take back every damn nice thing I said about you!" he yelled at her receding form, "you're pathetic! You're weak! You're not cut out to be the Hyuuga head! There's no wonder everyone thinks you're weak! No wonder your father gave up on you! You're not worth anything Hinata!"

She was gone, he couldn't see her anymore. He picked up the container she had left him, it was dinner, he smashed it against the tree shattering it to pieces then proceeded to stomp and kick at the food that had splattered on the ground. He had just lost the most important person in his life, the one and only 

person he cared about, the one person that understood him, the one person he would give his life to protect, she was gone and it hurt. It was the same pain he experienced the day he lost his clan.

He would never let anyone cause this pain again, he will never let anyone come close enough to hurt him again, and he was done with friendships, bonds, important people… _never again. _

* * *

**A/N:** Curse you Hiashi and your twisted perceptions! (sobs) Poor Sasuke and Hinata... they're so meant to be! It made me sad to write that last scene... was it too harsh or did I get the atmospere/mood right?

Let me know what you think in your reviews and pretty pretty please do review because I'm greedy for reviews. Muahahaha... ok that was lame and I know it... I'll just stop now... yea... (starts dancing to Hellogoodbye)


	10. Six Months of Denial

**A/N:** Ahhh! I never expected such a response for the last chapter! Thank you to _every single person_ that took a moment to review! I had planned to do weekly posts but with that kind of response I'm more motivated to post more frequently. So here is chapter 10 for your reading pleasure.

Running theme of this chapter is denial. I guess it is kind of angsty... leading to two very tormented souls. It starts out kind of philosophical, so bear with me and my infatuation with philosophy.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

**

* * *

**

CHAPTER 10: Six Months of Denial

Six months: the time it took to build a bond.

A few minutes: the time it took to sever that bond.

Everything had effortlessly gone back to the way it was six months ago or in a sense nothing had changed at all, therefore there was really nothing to go back to. No one had known about their relationship to begin with, no one knew when or how it began, no one knew of its existence, and no one knew how it ended. Well truth be told, a few people knew but the ones who did would certainly not recognize it and if no one recognizes it then in essence it does not exist, correct? Kind of like that old proverb about a tree falling in a forest and no one being there to hear it, does it make a sound?

It's up for debate, but what is clear is that the relationship between Uchiha Sasuke and Hyuuga Hinata did not exist. It did not exist to the Uchiha, the last six months, the training, the food, the laughter, the companionship could all be summed up as figments of his imaginations or so he would claim. To him none of it was worth imprinting into his memory, but his heart would tell him otherwise and he would continue to ignore its pleas. Hyuuga Hinata was just the weird shy girl that sat in class and didn't talk to anyone; she was nothing special, not even worth a glance.

For the Hyuuga heiress the last six months were her time of growth, growth that could not be attributed to any other person but herself. Uchiha Sasuke did not exist, he was not the reason she had earned what little respect her father was willing to afford her, he was not the reason she had awakened her Byakugan, he was not the reason for her confidence. He, the Uchiha, was the reason for her betrayal. She had turned her back on the clan she would one day lead, to run off gallivanting with the jaded, broken, cold, indifferent Uchiha survivor. He had been the one to scorn her when they had first met, then to reel her in and heal her open wounds; only to have him scorch her with his hurtful words. Mind you, her heart knew the truth, it knew who had provoked those hurtful words and it knew his words were nowhere near genuine or authentic, but it's not like she would listen to it. Uchiha Sasuke was just the arrogant boy that sat in class and didn't talk to anyone; he was nothing special, not even worth a glance.

Or so they would tell themselves.

Their last six months at the academy went by quickly and without mishap. There were no exchanges, touches, glances, between the two, but why would there be? It's not like they knew each other right? Sasuke remained cold and distant, striving only to become stronger, he was still top of his class and graduated as the top rookie to boot. Upon graduating he joined Team 7 led under to questionable guidance of a masked man who always had his head in a certain orange book, but this man also happened to be the great copy ninja, Hatake Kakashi. Among the other members of his team were a familiar blonde boy who went by Uzumaki Naruto and a pink haired fan-girl named Haruno Sakura. To Sasuke's surprise, he had unknowingly built a bond with Naruto much like the one he had with a certain Hyuuga heiress. Life was good again; he had another reason to live that did not simply revolve around killing Itachi.

On the other end of the spectrum, life was anything but good for the Hyuuga Heiress. At best, life was mediocre. Any progress she had made during her training sessions had ceased and again she was just weak little Hinata again. Upon graduating the academy her father had handed her off to Kurenai, wanting nothing to do with her, he had completely given up on her and dubbed her a lost cause. On the bright side she was teamed up with her friends from the academy, Inuzuka Kiba and Aburame Shino under the watchful crimson eyes of Genjutsu expert Yuuhi Kurenai. Life could be better, especially if a certain blonde boy decided to confess his undying love to her.

Life had continued for both without the presence of the other whether physically or mentally. Each had successfully pushed the other into the deep corner of their mind where no one ever set foot and it stayed that way. They went about their missions with their teammates as though those were the only people they held deep within their hearts. They continued their training with those teammates. They entered the Chuunin exams with those teammates. They passed the first stage with those teammates. They survived the forest of death with those teammates. Uchiha Sasuke did not need Hyuuga Hinata and she did not need him.

After another six months life for both had drastically changed. Hinata was thoroughly defeated by her cousin Neji, who in turn was thoroughly defeated by Naruto. The defeat had changed him for the better; he eventually undertook the role of a sort of older brother to Hinata, constantly watching over her. The determination she displayed during the Chuunin exams had earned the respect of her father and he had resumed training her as well as training branch member, Neji. And her admiration for the fox boy only continued to grow with each passing day.

Sasuke had continued to grow stronger alongside his best friend Uzumaki Naruto, mastering the great copy ninja's original techinique, the Chidori. But despite his immense growth, he was dissatisfied and deemed that he needed to grow stronger faster, especially since he saw Naruto to be evenly matched with him even possibly surpassing him. Then a proposition was made that fateful night when he had discarded everything he ever held dear; leave Konoha for the limitless power of Orochimaru.

It was that fateful night that the barriers crumbled, the dams cracked, and the tears fell. Hinata had been sound asleep until a sudden jolt of her window sliding open woke her. A dark figure climbed in, taking slow and steady steps towards her bed. Normally, she would be terrified but something about 

this person made her feel at ease, but it was not the same ease she felt when Kiba snuck in at night to talk. This was different, it was warm but at the same time callous and jagged, something she did not know how to react to. Then a gentle hand reached out to caress her cheek.

"Hinata" the soft voice was just above a whisper.

"Sasuke" she responded, pulling his hand off her cheek, "what are you doing here?"

He took a seat on the side of her bed then spoke, "I don't know."

"How could you not know?" she glared at him awaiting a more informed answer.

"I don't know why I'm here; I can't understand why I came to you" he shook his head. "Maybe I came to tell you how I really feel about you?" he paused to organize his thoughts into coherent words, "To tell you how much I can't stand you, how much I hate you, how I think you're worthless."

"I don't want to hear it, please leave Sasuke" she replied confidently.

"No! You're going to listen to every word I have to say" his gaze locking on hers, "Aside from my family, there have only been two people in my life that I consider important, Naruto and _you_."

"Stop Sasuke" she could feel the guilt rising within her.

"But I regret ever being friends with you! You're weak and stupid! You're just like all the other girls, annoying. You're completely worthless; you can't even stand up to your own father! How do you expect to lead one of the noble clans when you can barely take care of yourself?!" he continued to glare at her, his once black eyes now a bright blood red. "You disgust me! You're pathetic!"

"If you hate me so much then just leave!" she shouted back, tears gently creating their paths down her cheeks.

"I'm not done yet!" his voice deep and oozing with anguish, "Hinata, you are the biggest mistake of my entire life! I never should have been nice to, I never should have helped you, I never should have thought that you were the one to care about me like my parents did! I can't even express how much I hate you! You betrayed me!"

"Shut up!" she slapped him across his face while doing her best to hold in her sobs.

He turned his gaze back upon her pale eyes, not even affected by the searing pain of the slap. "You made me a promise under that tree and then turned around and broke it!"

Her eyes closed and her head bowed down in disgrace. She had indeed made him a promise and she did break it.

"Good bye Hinata" he was now calmly making his way towards the window, "good luck with your life."

"Wait" she suddenly found herself off her bed with his wrist in her hand, "I… I'm s-sorry Sasuke."

"Save it, you're not worth anything to me" and with that he released his wrist from her grasp and was gone in a matter of seconds.

Hinata fell to the floor, tears pouring unstoppably, ever since that day that she had severed their ties, she had hid all her emotions.

"No… n-no… Sa-Sasuke…" she bawled heavily into her wooden floorboards, "I'm s-sorry… I'm sorry…"

She writhed on the floor, her breaths shallow and uncontrolled. Loud short gasps echoed through her room as she poorly attempted to calm her breathing, the short nails of her fingers scraping away the top of her floorboards. She continued to sob uncontrollably on the floor, eventually crying herself into a deep slumber.

* * *

Hinata slowly brought her eyelids up, on a chair beside her bed sat her long time friend Kiba. She rose up to take in her surroundings when she noticed her cheeks were wet.

"Hey… you're finally awake" came a groggy voice.

"Yea" she nodded happily wiping the tears that had fallen during her sleep.

"I think that's a new record" he grinned at her, yawning to relieve himself from his sleepiness.

"Huh?"

"Usually when you faint…" he paused to stifle another yawn, "you usually don't sleep an entire night."

"Faint?" she had on her cute confused expression, eyes blinking and mouth gently agape. Hinata had grown up to be arguably the most beautiful of the girls of the rookie nine plus team Guy, "I fainted?"

"Remember? When we were eating Ramen with Naruto and Sakura?" Kiba continued to admire the expression plastered on her face; maybe she could be considered _the most_ beautiful of all of Konoha not that she was one to stand out, so her beauty was rarely acknowledged. Kiba definitely would have been one to openly acknowledge it but he knew how she felt about Naruto and therefore never said anything.

"Arghhh…" was her only response once she had remembered Naruto's sudden interest in her love life or lack thereof. "I was passed out for a whole night?"

"Yea, I took you back here when you didn't wake up"

"Thanks Kiba" she was grateful to have such a good friend.

"No problem!" he grinned brightly, "so what were you dreaming about? You were crying."

"Hm?" she recalled the feeling that had possessed her body just seconds before she awoke, "it was nothing, just a bad nightmare."

"Alright then, as long as you're okay" he stood up and stretched his limbs, "I should go, Neji keeps coming in to check on you and mumbling something about his Byakugan and killing me if I tried anything" he shrugged and made his way to her door.

"Sounds like Neji" she giggled.

"Yea, he's scary... Well, see you later"

"Yea, bye Kiba and thanks again" she waved him good bye.

"Bye Hinata" he was gone and she was alone to wallow in her thoughts.

* * *

**A/N:** Sasuke's a big meanie! gahh... but he seems pretty confused eh? He goes from caressing her cheek to a nasty verbal lashing, scares me a little.

This is actually version 2 of chapter 10, I had it pre-written but went back and changed some things suggested from a few reviewers. I value your critques! (**Kyashi Mina** - I tried more showing instead of telling, but it's hard for me since Sasuke is so damn indifferent! haha... The scene where Hinata is crying on the floor was rewritten because originally it was told instead of showed. / **guiltshow** - Is this a more accurate portrayal of Sasuke?/ **Encuentrame** - I'm still doing alot of summarizing... but is it any better? can't really get into the stuff the manga/anime already did.)

I don't know exactly how long it actually took for everything to happen but I chopped it down to a year and a half. 6 months together, then 6 months apart before graduating, and then 6 months of genin days before Sasuke's betrayal.

I'm close to 100 reviews, so here's the deal: if you guys can get me to 100 I will post the next chapter ASAP and as always constructive critiques are welcomed and even encouraged!


	11. Time to Move On

**A/N:** Woot! over 100 reviews, that was my goal for the entire story when I posted it. I'm so happy! THANKS EVERYONE! So as promised here is chapter 11 but before you start reading, if you found last chapter confusing I will take a moment to explain.

As I mentioned, the theme of chap.10 was denial. It wasn't that none of their relationship happened because it really did, it's just that since no one knew about it, they found denying it as the best way to cope. They went on with their lives like they didn't know eachother. The scene where Sasuke comes through her window is essentially him saying farewell, it did happen and wasn't just a dream. Just picture it like he went to see Hinata first and then on his way out he encounters Sakura like in the anime. Then about the whole dreaming thing... well... it's open to intepretation I guess... maybe not... I'm not sure. She was kind of re-living her time with Sasuke while unconscious, but when she referred to a nightmare she was referring to the night Sasuke left. I wrote it like that because my sister said I needed a proper way to close the gap between past and present, so when Hinata fainted I took advantage of it.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto!

* * *

**CHAPTER 11: Time to Move On**

Hinata's thoughts were clouded by a blanket of feelings she couldn't quite comprehend. Unfamiliar sensations had swept over her body, feelings of sadness, despair, and anguish. She had only ever felt this way twice in her life; once was when she had ended her friendship with Sasuke and the other was the night he betrayed Konoha. She found it odd though, seeing Sasuke those few days ago in battle sparked different emotions within her, that day she was overwhelmed with anger, disgust, and sympathy for the man he had become. A small part of her wondered if it was her fault he had turned out the way he did.

She had to remind herself that although he had grown to be more detached than he was when she met him, he still didn't harm her, _maybe there's some hope for him_. It was well known that Konoha's last Uchiha was a traitor and many villagers had adopted the view that he would remain that way, he was a lost cause. Only a select few still had hope that he would accomplish his personal missions and one day return. Those few held the hope that his loyalties still belonged to Konoha, she wouldn't openly admit it but she was one of those few.

Unable to stay in bed any longer, Hinata pulled off her blanket and landed her feet firmly on the floor. She gracefully walked over to her dresser and pulled the top drawer open and rummaged through the neatly folded items for a change of clothes for her morning shower. Retrieving the necessary articles, she placed it on her bed and closed the drawer.

After some careful contemplation, she pulled open the second drawer and ran her hand under one of the piles until she made contact with a hard object. A smile appeared, accentuating her soft delicate features. She pulled it out and ran her soft slender fingers across the cover of the photo album; she had woken up suddenly feeling nostalgic, but her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her door. Quickly, she shoved the album underneath her pillow then grabbing the spare change of clothes she hastily opened the door to meet the gaze of her cousin.

"I see you're awake" his face although apathetic still felt warm and comforting.

"Yea, good morning Neji!" she greeted him cheerfully.

"Yea, good morning…" he mumbled; it was clear he hadn't come to greet her "about that teammate of yours umm…"

"Kiba?"

"Yea, him…" Neji expression remained calm and stoic, "did he try anything? Cause if he did, I swear I'll-"

"NO!" she cut him off, "n-no, Kiba would never… errr… he wouldn't hurt me."

"You're too naïve sometimes Hinata"

"Huh? Naïve?" her eyes blinked in confusion, "about what?"

"See, that's exactly what I mean" he yawned then turned to walk away, "I know how guys look at you, just don't be so foolish Hinata. I'm going back to bed, stayed up nearly the whole night cause that stupid dog boy wouldn't leave until you woke up…" he let out a stream of colorful words as he made his way to his bedroom in the branch house.

Hinata continued to blink as she watched her cousin's receding figure, _how guys look at me?_ She felt a warm blush rise to her face before she was snapped back to reality by the voice of her younger sister.

"You want the shower or can I take it first?" Hanabi looked as uninterested in her older sister as she always did, but over the years Hanabi had also grown to respect Hinata and occasionally even asked Hinata to train with her, their relationship could be considered 'sisterly'.

"Y-yea, I want the shower"

"Ok, I'll go take the one on the other side" of course the Hyuuga mansion had multiple washrooms; it was just bothersome to look for one that was free in the early mornings.

After a long shower where all her worries were washed away down the drain, she made her way back to her room feeling refreshed and full of energy. She decided to make her bed before going out for training that day, most Hyuuga left their unmade beds to the servants but Hinata always felt better when she was one less bed they would need to fret over.

She fluffed her pillow diligently before placing it down remembering the album she had shoved under it earlier. She picked it up and took a seat on the edge of her bed. She couldn't help but smile at the happy memories all the pictures elicited; pages and pages of her with team eight. There were even a few family pictures with Hanabi and their father, and then there was the one picture with Hanabi's slender arms rung around Neji's neck while he tried to pull her off, Hinata sat close by laughing hysterically at her sister's antics. The three of them really looked like siblings and it was an accurate portrayal of their relationship.

She continued to flip through the numerous pictures, stopping to admire the few she had with Naruto, and those pictures always had someone else in them, usually Sakura, and he always stood much closer to her. Hinata sighed and continued to reminisce as she neared the end of the album. Once she had reached the end, she closed it slowly and got up to put it away but a sudden flash of her dreams from the previous night stopped her dead in her tracks.

Her gaze returned to the album and she sat back down, pulling the back cover open. She tentatively slipped two fingers into the sleeve of the cover and pulled out two pictures she had hidden away. The first picture was one Sasuke had taken of the two of them; his left arm visible on the edge and it was slightly askew where she was nearly cut out. The second photo was one she had taken while he was stuffing his face with a rice ball she had made.

The feelings she had woken with suddenly rushed back and she felt an urge to weep. She could vividly remember the night Sasuke had come to her room and confessed his abhorrence. She could still see his blood red eyes glaring at her and she could still feel the floor beneath her as she cried herself to sleep. Hinata had not completely grasped the true meanings of his words until the next morning when she had been eating breakfast with her family. That morning she received news of Uchiha Sasuke's betrayal.

Her father had been the one to break the news and when he did, he made sure Hinata had heard him. It was like he was proving a point, confirming the notion he was right about the Uchiha all along and she was a fool to ever think anything good of him.

That night was the night Sasuke cut the strings that linked him to Konoha and when he came through her window, it was to say farewell. He cleanly broke off from Hinata with his hateful words, making sure that they would hate each other eternally. She chose to comply and moved on without thinking of him… until now that is. All her affections towards Sasuke were transferred to Naruto who she now believed she loved.

* * *

The four entered the lair where the hidden sound village once existed; the tension was thick in the air. They each made their way to their respective quarters, neither one breaking the silence.

Sasuke turned the knob to his room and pushed the door open. He walked over to his bed, placing his sword on the table before lying down. Once his head hit the pillow, he allowed his thoughts to run freely. He had just killed Itachi, what is there left for him to do now?

There was only the revival of his clan left and he did not really know how to go about that. There's Karin, but she's obnoxious and annoying. Then an image of the battle he had with Naruto and Sakura entered his mind. _Hinata_, he thought, _why couldn't I kill her? Actual, I don't kill people to begin with unless they deserve it but I couldn't even hurt her!_ He let out a frustrated sigh. Suppressing feelings and emotions were his expertise but understanding them was a whole other story.

He felt a slight pang in his heart when tears streamed down her pale face and then the pang intensified when he realized her devotion to Naruto, her will to do anything in her power to save his life even if it meant losing her own. Just then his thoughts were disrupted by a knock on his door and in walked a red headed woman with glasses.

"What do you want Karin?" Sasuke asked with his ever prominent scowl.

Karin did not look happy; she looked like she was on the verge of lashing out at him. "What was that back there?! Why didn't you kill that girl?"

"Why does it matter to you?" he asked coldly.

"Because it'd be easier to get rid of her now and then we won't have to worry about her in the future!"

"She's nothing to worry about Karin, she's weak and she won't cause us trouble" he continued to apathetically stare at the ceiling over his bed.

"Sasuke, tell me what that girl is to you!"

"What do you mean?"

"She's clearly not just any girl, you look at her differently" Karin seethed, "you don't even look at me like that!"

"I don't know what you're talking, she's just another stupid, weak, and annoying girl" Sasuke stated, evidently frustrated at where the conversation had progressed.

"But-" she was cut off by a loud crash coming from somewhere within the lair.

"Great, what is it now…" Sasuke grabbed his sword and left the room.

The two walked through the halls towards the sounds. In the middle of the lair was a partially transformed Juugo and an unnaturally buff looking Suigetsu.

Suigetsu swung his merciless sword at Juugo who ducked and managed to kick out Suigetsu legs beneath. Juugo then proceeded to punch Suigetsu in the face once he had fallen to the ground. Suigetsu's face splattered into water as Juugo's fist collided with it. Rematerializing a few seconds later, Suigetsu kicked Juugo off.

"Ha! Is that the best you got?" Suigetsu asked mockingly.

"You're strong! I'll have fun killing you!" Juugo cackled.

"Kill me? I'd like to see you try!"

They both charged at each other, Suigetsu wielding Momochi Zabuza's sword high above his head ready to bring it down while Juugo's transformed arm hung high, ready to block the shot.

"If they keep this up the place is going to collapse!" Karin shouted worriedly, _but I hope they kill each other then it'd just be me and Sasuke_, she thought inwardly.

"You two stop that now" Sasuke commanded, moving to stand between them "if you continue I will have to kill you."

They both stopped and stepped away, Juugo's curse markings receded and his transformed arm returned back to normal.

"Shit Sasuke, that's some intense murderous intent, you really were going to kill us huh?" Suigetsu laughed nervously.

"Hm. Sorry Suigetsu, I didn't mean to harm you" Juugo apologized for his sudden rampage.

"Nothing to apologize for, you didn't even mark me" Suigetsu grinned, "anyway, I was thinking Sasuke since you've killed Itachi and I've got Kisame's sword, what's left for Hebi?"

"If what you're asking is to leave, you're free to go" Sasuke stated walking away from the two combatants.

"Sweet, I gotta get the other swords" Suigetsu said happily, grabbing a water bottle off the floor and taking slurps of it, "I'll be going then! It's been swell, we should do it again sometime" he walked down the long clay hallways, chuckling with every step.

"You two are free to leave as well if that is what you wish" Sasuke referred to the remaining members of Hebi.

"I can't leave your side, I can't control myself" Juugo stated downtrodden.

"Karin, the enzyme that causes the curse seal transformation, can you somehow isolate and eliminate it?" Sasuke asked the now stunned red head.

"What? Why would you want me to cure him?" she was shocked at the sudden compassion exhibited by the Uchiha.

"He came to Orochimaru for a cure and he deserves that" Sasuke turned his gaze away from Juugo to look attentively at Karin, "can you cure him?"

"ahh… y-yea, I just need some time, a couple weeks probably if you can wait Juugo"

"I've waited years, a couple more weeks will be nothing" he said before retreating to his room, "Thank you Sasuke."

"I guess I'll get to work on that cure" Karin sighed and trudged off in the opposite direction, _the sooner I get the cure done, the sooner I get to be alone with Sasuke. _

* * *

**A/N:** This was a transitional chapter so not a whole lot happened. It starts off where chapter 4 left off for Hinata and for Sasuke it continues off chapter 1, so they're both 16 again. Just a little insight into the fic; there will be a total of three story arcs. The first arc ended with chapter 10 and this chapter starts the second arc. In regards to my pre-written chapters, I'm almost finished writing the second arc.

Since it gets pretty anti-climatic for now, I'll go to posting weekly because if I run out of pre-written chapters then writing will become like a chore for me. I enjoy writing when I feel motivated but at the same time I want to keep chapters coming out at regular intervals. Expect chapter 12 in a week or so, it's titled: Paths Run Parallel.

Oh and I got rid of Suigetsu... I know most people like him and most Hebi related stories favour him over Juugo but this fic favours Juugo, he plays an important role.

Anyway, enough of my blabbering! I hope you enjoyed, please review!


	12. Paths Run Parallel

**A/N:** A hot shower, comfy pj's, a cup of orange pekoe tea, an avocado, a couple hours later and I've got a new chapter which means I post a chapter. yay.

Thanks again to the super-freakishly-amazing-you-rock-my-world reviewers!

**Disclaimer:** I indeed do not own the lovable loud mouthed blonde who partakes in silly antics or anything associated with him.

* * *

**CHAPTER 12: Paths Run Parallel**

His to-do list consisted of two tasks: One, kill Itachi. Two, revive the Uchiha clan. Itachi is dead, so scratch that off, now there's only the clan revival. How exactly should Sasuke go about reviving his clan? First off he's only sixteen and although he would not admit it publicly but the great Uchiha Sasuke has very little experience with woman. To him women were always a nuisance, invading his personal space, prodding him with their fingers, and grabbing things they simply should not be grabbing.

Through Sasuke's entire life there have only been a handful of women that mattered to him; his mother of course, then Sakura who he nearly died protecting against Gaara, and lastly was Hinata who he cared so much for, only to have her turn her back on him. The revival of his clan would be much simpler if humans were asexual and he would then have no need for women. There was always Karin; she wasn't hard on the eyes either. She would definitely be the easiest solution to his predicament because well… she was easy, shamelessly throwing herself at him.

Unfortunately for Sasuke, ever since the encounter with the Konoha shinobi he had not been able to get thoughts of a certain Hyuuga heiress out of his head. He couldn't help but notice how beautifully she had matured over the past three years. Her indigo locks now hung down to the middle of her back but her perfect bangs still remained framing her delicate features. Her enchanting pale lavender eyes still exemplified her warm and loving demeanor. It was that demeanor that fed him delicious meals for a solid six months. But that soft demeanor had also matured over the years; she had the mental will to risk her life to protect Naruto. She was able to stand up against Sasuke and she didn't falter, she wasn't even scared. The Hyuuga Hinata he remembered would tremble under his glare. This Hyuuga Hinata on the other hand, was certainly stronger and he was impressed with her progress.

He had missed her so much after that night she broke off their friendship and although he would not acknowledge it, he continued to miss her after he had left Konoha to seek Orochimaru. On nostalgic days, he would reminisce with himself. He would wonder how his former teammates were doing, how they've changed, how they've grown, how strong they could be. His thoughts would occasionally wander to Hinata, wondering if she regretted her decision, if she thought about him, and maybe if one day when everything was over and done with he could return to her and she would accept him without having to consult her father.

The truth was, although Karin would be the easiest means to accomplish his last goal, all he wanted was Hinata. It was always Hinata and it will always be Hinata.

"Stop thinking such stupid thoughts!" Sasuke scolded himself while he lay on his bed. _You left Konoha! You left everything behind! _He thought to himself, frustrated he rubbed his temples. _You left her behind and she'll never accept you, especially considering the way she looked at you with disgust just over a week ago_.

Yes, it had been over a week since he killed Itachi and encountered Hinata. Since then he had not really accomplished much, just training. Juugo continued to patiently wait for a cure for his curse and Karin continued to assure Sasuke that she was almost done.

Tired of lying in bed all day, he got up and grabbed his sword, sliding it into the thick ropes that tied around his waist. He needed to go on a walk, some fresh air to clear his mind. When he reached the entrance of the lair he walked out into the sun's bright light. Juugo was seated not far from the entrance on a rock.

"Juugo" Sasuke greeted him.

"Sasuke" Juugo smiled, "are you going for another walk?"

"Yea, being stuck in those clay walls while Karin throws herself at me is starting to be a bother" Sasuke's statement induced a loud chuckle from Juugo.

"Well it's a nice day for a walk" Juugo then turned to the bird perched on his shoulder, "but don't expect a peaceful walk today."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow at Juugo's ambiguous proclamation.

"The animals" he motioned to the bird on his shoulder, "they're telling me that there are foreign ninja in the forest with evil intent."

"Whoever they are, it won't be trouble for me" a smirk etched its way on Sasuke's face.

"The bird says one of them will, one of them will be of interest to you"

"What's your bird mean by that?"

"I don't know, that's all that it told me" Juugo let out another deep chuckle.

"Alright then I'll be back later" and with that Sasuke walked off into the forest, taking in the warmth of the sun's rays against his skin.

* * *

Hinata dropped herself on a log at the edge of the plot of training ground. She watched intently as her two teammates continued to spar, where they got so much stamina was beyond her. She had arrived later than they had and she was already exhausted, her limbs ached from tiredness. From a short distance she could make out a male figure waving at her, upon further inspection via her Byakugan she noticed it was Neji. It only took him about half a minute to finally reach her.

"Neji, is something wrong?" she blinked, unable to decipher his stoic expression.

"Tsunade wishes to see you. I think you've got a mission"

"Oh ok, I'll go see her now" she stood to her feet and waved a farewell to Kiba and Shino who didn't stop to wave but instead waved in between jabs and punches.

She arrived at the Hokage tower shortly after and entered Tsunade's office to be greeted warmly by the blonde beauty. "You c-called for m-me Lady Tsunade?"

"Yes Hinata, I have a C-rank mission for you" she eyed the Hyuuga heiress attentively; "it'll be a solo mission if you're alright with that."

"A s-solo m-mission?" she squeaked. She had never been on a mission alone before.

"No need to worry Hinata, it's a simple mission. A team of Genin could do it, but since I heard about how you stood up against Sasuke, I thought that you would be an ideal choice"

"Oh…ok, w-what are the m-mission details?" Hinata queried.

Tsunade motioned to the door where a middle aged man entered, "this man goes by the name Jo, and he is from the Rice Field Country. You are to escort him home and come back when your mission is complete."

"I understand" Hinata nodded politely to the Hokage.

"The reason he requires an escort is because as you know, Orochimaru is dead and therefore the Hidden Village of Sound located near Rice Field Country has fallen" she paused to let the young heiress take in the information, "there is a threat that you may be ambushed by thieves and thugs looking to take advantage of the political turmoil Orochimaru's death has produced. You are more than capable of accomplishing this mission successfully Hinata."

"Yes, thank you"

"You will leave at dawn tomorrow, now go home and get some rest you look like you've been training all day" she shot the Hyuuga heiress a reassuring smile then ushered her out.

For the rest of the day and night, Hinata was a wreck. Nervousness and anxiety had overtaken her body and she couldn't calm herself. Tomorrow she would leave to go on her first solo mission, she knew that once she gained the Chuunin rank, missions would get more difficult but the thought never occurred to her that she would be given a solo mission. But if the only threat were just thieves and thugs then she would be easily able to handle them without any difficulty and that is exactly what she repatedly told herself until she fell asleep.

The next morning came quickly and she was up and ready just minutes before the sun peaked in the horizon. She sat on a bench by the Konoha gates waiting to meet Jo so they could head to the destination, he was late. After fifteen minutes of waiting, she finally spotted him walking towards the gate, it was obvious that he was not a morning person, it reminded her of Neji in the morning, she giggled silently to herself at the image.

"Good morning Jo" she greeted the man with a polite bow but only received a wave.

"It's not necessary to be so formal Hyuuga, a wave and a smile would do" he bared his teeth in a toothy grin.

"Alright Jo, but I would prefer it if you simply call me Hinata if that's alright with you"

"Certainly Hinata, shall we be on our way?" he motioned to the horizon in the distance receiving a nod in return as she went in stride beside him.

It took them a day and a half to reach the Rice Field Country, taking one night to rest. She had found the middle aged man was surprisingly easy to talk to and she felt comfortable enough that she didn't once stutter. The man was a friend of the owner of Ichiraku Ramen and had come to Konoha to visit. He owned his own ramen shop in the Rice Field Country and for the most part it was an unsuccessful venture because of all the turmoil the country experienced, but now that Hidden Sound had fallen he hoped that things would turn out for the better. That led him to Ichiraku Ramen where he hoped to adopt some of the cooking methods for his own place, considering the popularity of Konoha's ramen stand. In her head, Hinata wondered if the owner of Ichiraku Ramen had mentioned a certain blonde that was behind all his success.

As the pair reached the path that led directly into the man's village they were ambushed by a group of eight men. The men ranged in age from what looked like some slightly older than her to middle aged men. They were dirty and scruffy looking, dressed in dirty rags.

"Hey Jo, it's been awhile, have you been avoiding us?" one of the older men asked as he walked closer to Jo.

"S-stay away from him" Hinata commanded, taking a stance in front of her companion.

"Well well, look at this" the older man edged his face close to hers, she shivered as she felt his breath tickle down her neck, "you hired a little girl to protect you?" The group simultaneously bellowed various chuckles.

"Hinata, be careful, these men are dangerous"

"Listen to him little girl if you know what's good for you!" came a voice from the group.

"I'll be fine Jo, no need to worry" she said with a bright smile. She was not worried in the least, it was clear that these men would be no trouble for her. She would not even need to activate her Byakugan, a few weak shots of chakra through her hands and they'd be finished.

"Move aside girl or I'll just have to take you home with me" he gave her a lecherous grin that made her feel sick to her stomach.

"Just take her out boss, this is taking too long"

"Shut up kid! Don't tell me what to do!" he turned to yell into the mob of men behind him when suddenly he felt a hard hit to the back of his neck. The man then fell limp to the ground revealing the Hyuuga heiress in her gentle fist stance.

"Get her!" a man yelled as the mob lunged forward.

It took Hinata a total of seven individual strikes to take out the seven remaining men, it didn't even take her an entire minute, they were just that pathetic. Once completed, she turned to the middle aged man and muttered something about the men just being unconscious before lightly nudging him forward.

For the rest of the walk Jo praised Hinata and openly confided that at first he was worried at the Hokage's choice to have her as his escort, but now he was beyond pleased with the ninja that was provided. As the pair disappeared into the distance, two pairs of eyes hid in the trees, their gazes never leaving the Hyuuga's back.

**

* * *

**

**A/N:** Agh... another boring chapter but I promise next chapter will get better! It's titled: But Paths Eventually Cross.

Hope you enjoyed what you could of this one, until next week (give or take a couple days). Please review if you deem this worthy!


	13. But Paths Eventually Cross

**A/N:** A week goes by so fast, it felt like I had posted chap.12 only a few days ago. Anyway, here is chapter 13. So... I find Sasuke _extremely_ difficult to write and as a result we unintentionally have a very muddled and confused teenage boy whose behaviours don't match his thoughts... oh well... you'll see what I mean in the upcoming chapters.

Thanks again to all the reviewers! You really do keep me going. I find that sometimes when I encounter a rough patch in my writing, I go back and read your reviews for motivation.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**CHAPTER 13: But Paths Eventually Cross**

Hinata had successfully completed her first solo mission and she was extremely proud of herself for once. It was like a warm flood washed over her body and left her feeling satisfied and incredibly comfortable in her own skin, sort of like a new found confidence. Now she was seated on a stool at Jo's ramen stand waiting for a hot bowl of Naruto's favorite. After the two had arrived at his stand, Hinata thanked him for his kindness and companionship during the journey, she wished him well as she bid farewell, but the man insisted that he thank her properly which meant a fresh bowl of steaming hot ramen. She couldn't refuse, he was so persistent and in truth she was actually quite hungry.

When her food arrived she dug into it daintily like a true heiress, taking small bites while trying her best not to slurp. She remained at the stand for a few moments after she had finished, she truly did feel comfortable talking to the ramen stand owner. Not long after, Jo introduced Hinata to a young lady who Hinata deduced was probably in her twenties. The lady was an inn owner in the village and just like Jo, she was exceptionally easy to talk to, she had invited Hinata to spend the night at her inn on a discounted rate. Hinata thought about it briefly before declining, citing that she needed to return to the Hokage but would consider visiting another time. She thanked the two for their benevolence then got up to return home.

Hinata felt like her feet were floating over the ground, she had never been this pleased with herself for a long time. The silly grin on her face only reaffirmed her feelings. She had walked out of the village and was now in the forest en route to Konoha and the grin still remained.

But she was snapped out of her trance when she heard shuffling sounds in the shrubbery and immediately activated her Byakugan. It was then that her mood drastically changed and a shudder of fear ran through her body. She let out a loud gasp when she recognized the two bodies as ninja of the hidden cloud village, the village that had tried to kidnap her those many years ago just to attain the secrets of the Byakugan.

"Well well… look who it is" the two cloud ninja appeared from the shrubbery, their eyes fixed on hers.

"W-what d-do you w-want?" she asked frantically, taking steps back to avoid them.

"Your Byakugan of course" the taller man grinned wickedly, "you escaped us years ago but today will not be the same Hyuuga."

"D-don't c-come closer!" she shouted before taking her usual stance.

"What do you think you're going to do? You're one Chuunin fighting against a Chuunin and a Jounin" the man remained watching her intently while his partner snickered, "now that I think about it, your Hokage must be really stupid for sending a weak little Hyuuga out alone. Do they not value the Byakyugan?"

"Be quiet! I will n-not h-hesitate, I will fight y-you" she threatened unconvincingly through stutters but only eliciting chuckles from the two ninja.

"Should I take her or will you?" asked the Chuunin.

"You can, maybe she'll have a chance against you" the Jounin laughed and then motioned for his Chuunin partner to fight.

Hinata jumped back instantly when the cloud Chuunin moved forward, but to her astonishment he was in front of her so fast she didn't even see him move. He made a move to attack her but she dodged it easily leaning backwards and then kicked her legs up to his head but he dodged it and she finished in a back flip. The man jumped back and just stood for a few seconds, it was enough time for Hinata to identify all his chakra holes while pooling her own chakra to her hands.

They lunged forward simultaneously exchanging jabs, neither able to land a direct hit. Minutes passed before Hinata finally threw out her left fist infused with chakra and the Chuunin caught it in his own, he let out a painful scream. He endured the pain and pulled her into him while his other fisted hand moved to her face. She decided to take the blow in exchange for landing a hit on him, just before he landed his fist to her face she brought her spare arm up, palms opened she thrust it into his chest. The man instantly fell back coughing up blood; it was then that she realized she had hit him in the exact spot that Neji hit her during the Chuunin exams.

As the man fell back he pulled her down with him, her hand still tightly grasped in his. She let out a loud yelp when she fell on top of him; he released her hand and brought his up to ring around her neck. Hinata gasped for air as she realized he was choking her, her hands immediately started hitting his chest leaking out subtle amounts of chakra while tears fell. She had never killed someone before and it pained her to know that at this moment it was his life or hers.

Finally making her decision she drew a sufficient amount of chakra to her hands and slammed them into his chest, enough to cause fatal internal damage. The man went limp under her and his arms dropped, then it dawned on her, she had actually killed someone with her own hands. There was no other choice; she had to, for the Byakugan, for the honour of her clan, and for her life.

Hinata moved to get off the dead body when a shot of unbearable pain took over her. She turned around to see the cloud Jounin standing over her with a bloody kunai in hand, then she placed her hand on her lower back. It was wet, blood was pouring out of the open wound. She looked up at the man; her eyes widened in horror as he moved to stab her again. This time the pain did not come, her eyelashes fluttered in an attempt to stay open but she was losing the battle against the encroaching darkness.

She heard the man let out a deep chuckle then it was muffled by his screams as sounds of metal against metal resonated through the forest. Next was a loud thud on the ground, like a body had just dropped. She fought the darkness, opening her eyes to look into deep red eyes and then everything went black.

* * *

It had been a peaceful walk for the most part until it was interrupted by sounds of a scuffle. At first he had chosen to ignore it and be on his way, figuring that whatever it was wasn't worth his attention. That was until he was reminded of what Juugo and his bird had mentioned. _Someone of interest to you_, Sasuke recollected, but who could it be? He turned back in the direction of the sounds and leapt into the trees jumping from branch to branch at an unnatural speed. It had not taken him long to reach the area where the sounds were coming from.

He activated his Sharingan and watched intently as one of the ninja killed a man. Sasuke was not able to see much of the one that had killed the other because there was a taller man standing in the way. He shifted to another branch to get a better view; it was a girl, a kunoichi that had killed the other man. Just as his thoughts were completed the taller man pulled a kunai out and stabbed it into her lower back. The girl made no sound or attempt to move, she just simply turned around with large pale eyes and instantly Sasuke's heart clenched and anger overwhelmed all his senses. Any logic or reason he had was tossed away carelessly and all that remained was fury and irrationality, his only objective was to save the pale eyed girl.

He leapt out of the tree and met face to face with a chuckling cloud ninja who ceased his malice laughter when he saw the Uchiha. Sasuke met the man's bloodied kunai with his own katana and easily knocked it out of his hands. He then proceeded to stab the cloud Jounin through his heart, effectively killing him with one shot. The man screamed but soon fell limp to the ground.

Taking out the remaining cloud ninja was an easy task but what Sasuke was presented with now was something he had never dealt with before. He was now leaping through trees towards the abandoned lair with a kunoichi from the village he had betrayed. The wound was not a fatal one and if he had left her there, someone would have eventually come by to save her but something had compelled him to be that person, to be her saviour. He did not have the will to leave her in someone else's care, he needed the assurance that she would recover.

Slowly the lair formerly belonging to Orochimaru came into view; Juugo had left his spot on the rock and the entrance was empty. He kicked the door open then speedily made his way to his bedroom letting out shots of chakra to increase the distance of each step while an unconscious Hinata lay in his arms. He raced past a stunned Karin and a confused Juugo, not sparing either a glance. Upon reaching his room he gently placed her on his bed while pulling off the sweater to assess the wound. He briefly noted how womanly she had grown to be but pushed those thoughts aside.

During his time with Orochimaru, Sasuke had not bothered to take the time to learn any medical healing techniques from Kabuto and now he deeply regretted it. He pulled a cloth out from the table drawer and pressed it over the wound, hoping to stop the bleeding which had slowed down drastically since the kunai penetrated her flesh. Just then his bedroom door snapped opened and Juugo and Karin appeared both with unsure expressions. Whipping his head around, he grimaced at the sight and narrowed his eyes at Karin. Oddly enough, through the entire ordeal Sasuke's face remained just as indifferent as ever though the emotions rippling through his body were in disarray.

"What's going on Sasuke?" her voice was laced with a tinge of anger.

"She was attacked in the forest, help me tend to her wound Karin" Sasuke replied in a calm manner, not even an ounce of doubt or worry could be sensed.

"But she's that Konoha shinobi!" she retorted "you should've just let her die!"

"Will you help me or not?" he glared menacingly at the women, "if not then leave."

Karin's mouth opened and closed repeatedly but no sounds escaped, she promptly refused and stomped off. Sasuke's gaze then turned to Juugo who held a compassionate look before walking over to kneel down next to Sasuke.

"I'll help you"

"Thank you Juugo" Sasuke said appreciatively though his tone didn't show it.

Together the two men meticulously stitched her wound and bandaged it. Of the three members of Hebi still remaining neither Sasuke or Juugo had any experience with healing techniques, only Karin had but unfortunately for Hinata the red head refused to heal her. Sasuke had considered forcefully making Karin heal the Konoha kunoichi but decided against it, figuring that he could not trust Karin to not harm Hinata.

Hinata slowly pulled herself out of her slumber, forcing her eyes to open and her hands to wander her body. She was lying on a somewhat hard bed under rough sheets that slightly scraped against her skin. She moved her hands over her abdomen suddenly becoming aware that she had been stripped of her sweater. Next she let her eyes wander the walls of the room, they were plain and brown with a dusty texture, and she figured the walls were built of clay.

A slight hint of worry entered her mind upon not recognizing the surroundings, her eyes widened to inspect further when a sound slipped into her ears. It was a sound of two items scraping together repeatedly. She gradually turned her gaze over to the left and what she saw was something she never expected. She gasped and instantly sat up from the laying position; she backed herself up to the wall that the bed was pushed up against, her wide pale lavender eyes locked on the spectacle before her. Sitting on the opposite wall was Uchiha Sasuke, traitor of Konoha, student of Orochimaru, the last surviving Uchiha. He glanced up at the Hyuuga, his face remaining stoic as he continued to sharpen his blade.

"A-are y-you going t-to kill m-me?" she stuttered, pushing herself firmly against the wall as though it would increase their distance.

"Don't move, you'll open up your wound" he stated without looking up from his blade.

Just then all the memories of the previous events washed over her and she reached back to search for the area that had a kunai stabbed in it. She winced slightly as her hand graced the bandages, it had been taken care of with great care but it still hurt. Hinata then took her hand off the bandaged spot and looked thoughtfully at Sasuke.

"W-why did y-you do this?" she continued to stutter, unsure of the Uchiha's true motives.

"Go back to sleep, you need rest to heal" he paused, bringing his gaze away from his blade to look into her lavender eyes, "the sooner you heal the sooner you can leave. I've left some robes if you want to change out of your clothes, there is a washroom down the hall to the left if you want to wash up, if you're hungry I'll come by later with food," he stood up from his seat and walked to the door.

"W-wait, w-what if I w-want t-to leave now? Will y-you s-stop me?"

"If you leave now, you run the risk of being killed, there could still be cloud ninja out there and your wound could easily open itself again. I won't stop you if you choose to take that risk, but Juugo likely will. Life or death, it's your decision."

She opened her mouth to reply but no words formed, seeing this Sasuke walked out and shut the door behind him. _Who's Juugo_ She wondered inwardly but pushed the thought aside to be pondered at another time.

Hinata pulled the sheets off her body and slid off the bed, she eyed the pile of white material stacked at the edge of a table. She lifted it up to let it fall down revealing a plain robe; she did feel dirty in her current clothes where the back of her top was crisp from the dried blood. Quickly she pulled off her top and wrapped the clean fresh robe around herself tying it tightly with the long length of material that was placed beside it. The white robe hung down to her knees, it was plain and conservative, and she didn't mind it so much. Still remaining on the table was what she deduced were a pair of pants that went with the robe, she quickly slipped them on but they were slightly too long for her, she cuffed the bottoms so that they sat just above her ankles.

Now that she was dressed in clean clothes she contemplated leaving the room to explore. After several minutes of staring at the door she thought of using her Byakugan but decided against it, her chakra levels were still extremely low from being wounded and it would be wise to save her Byakugan in case Sasuke decided to come back and kill her. She then spent the next few minutes preparing herself to leave the room but in the end she could not muster the courage to leave so she crawled back into bed and let sleep take over.

Sasuke was right; she needed to rest so she could heal sooner and she couldn't leave until she was fully healed, there would always be the risk of cloud ninja. As she drifted off, she wondered why Sasuke had saved her when she could still vividly remember him confessing his hatred for her.

**

* * *

**

**A/N:** Yay! Sasuke to the rescue! I hope you enjoyed it, I'm not too good at fight scenes.

Before I say my farewell until next week bit I'd like to ask you readers a favour... don't worry, I'm not here to pester you for reviews! I just finished writing the last chapter for the second story arc and am just about to start writing the third story arc but I need names. As you can see from my OC Jo, I'm not too good at coming up with Japanese names. I need four japanese names, first and last, three males and one female. Something easily distinguishable for you readers. You can leave suggestions in reviews or send me a PM... but please do help me out here. If no one helps then I'll improvise and likely resort to looking names up on the net... it might turn out quite amusing. haha.

Anyway, thanks for reading. I'll see you next week with another chapter.


	14. Unmatched Truths

**A/N:** Hi again! I present you chapter 14. Some Sasuhina interaction, some drama, some crying, some mending... you know, the fun stuff.

Thanks again to all the fabulous reviewers and a special thanks to _Nibinlotwen_ who provided me some names for the fic. I already used one in the first chapter of the third arc!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**CHAPTER 14: Unmatched Truths**

The shutting of a door woke her from her deep slumber. Her eyes drew open and scanned the surroundings, she still was not home, but in contrast she was lying on a bed situated in a windowless room with bare clay walls. To her left across the room sat an empty chair, it was the chair she had seen Sasuke seated in yesterday. Actually she could not say for certain it was yesterday seeing as she had been sleeping for prolonged periods of time in a windowless room, she had no indication of how much time had passed.

Hinata pulled off her sheets and seated herself of the edge of the bed, contemplating her next actions. She didn't know where she was nor did she know what lay behind the door, would it be foolish to leave the room? Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted when the door knob turned, her body tensed tightly and fear engulfed her mind. She found that suddenly she couldn't move, too afraid of whom or what would enter. A familiar face stepped in and although her nerves calmed ever so slightly she was still on edge. There in the doorway was Sasuke; his face remained stoic and indifferent.

"You're awake" he stated monotonously and she nodded weakly, "are you hungry?"

Was she hungry? She wasn't too sure about that but nodded anyway, she needed food to regain her energy.

"I'll go get you something to eat, if you need to wash up, the washroom is just outside to the left" he gestured with his hand pointing down the hall, "I'll be back in a bit."

She acknowledged him with another nod and watched him leave the doorway to the right. Eyeing the door suspiciously she stood to her feet and took slow and steady steps, when she reached the doorway she popped her head out and looked in both directions. When she was certain there was no one around she edged out and walked down to the left until she reached the one and only door, she cautiously turned the knob and pushed it open, it was a small cramped washroom built from clay like the room she awoke in. The shower though had been tiled with plain cream coloured tiles.

She swiftly shut the door behind her and walked up to the mirror. Her skin had become paler than it had been before if that was even possible, her eyes were puffy and dark like she hadn't been resting though she probably had been sleeping for days. Her usually smooth and shiny hair was in clumps and knots, it needed a good wash. She turned to the shower and considered it but reasoned that it would be too soon to get her wound wet. Searching the small space she found a towel, it would suffice, she checked to make sure the door was locked before stripping down and wetting the towel generously. She rung out the excess water and began thoroughly wiping down her skin, removing the dirt that had built up while on her mission.

Rinsing out the towel for the second time she brought it to the area of her wound and wiped away the dried blood. Once she finished that she quickly dressed. Lastly, she turned the shower head on and bent over so that her hair could soak, she grabbed the bottle of what she figured was shampoo and lathered it into her hair. She then rinsed it out and grabbed the other towel and quickly dried off. There was no hair brush so she settled on unknotting her matted hair with her fingers though she did so unsuccessfully. Her stomach let out a loud growl informing her of its hunger, she sighed then made her way back to the room where Sasuke said he would bring some food.

Sure enough, there he was, seated on that seat with two meal boxes on the floor beside him as he read a scroll.

"Do you feel better?" he asked, not looking away from his scroll.

"Y-yes… t-thank y-you" she replied nervously.

Sasuke rolled up the scroll he had been reading and handed her one of the boxes then motioned for her to take a seat in one of the other chairs. He picked up the other one for himself and pulled off the cover. She watched him from her seat not making any move to start her own meal, it only took him a second to notice and put the cover back on his.

"What is it?" he looked her straight in her pale lavender eyes.

She broke the contact and stuttered out her response, "It's… j-just I n-need a h-hairbrush…"

"I don't own a hairbrush" she sensed from his tone that he was slightly annoyed.

"Umm… ok… i-it's ok t-then"

He let out a deep sigh and stood from his seat, "I'll go get one from Karin."

Hinata watched as he placed his meal back on the floor and left. She was a little surprised at the kindness he was showing although his manner remained cold and detached. _Who's Karin?_ she wondered. He returned quickly and handed her a hairbrush then took his place again. After carefully brushing out the knots of her hair she thanked him and started on her meal.

They ate their meals together in silence much like they did when they were younger, both stealing glances of the other when they felt they could get away with it.

Hinata broke the silence when her curiosity got the best of her, "S-Sasuke…" she looked at him to see that he was giving her his full attention, their contrasting eyes meeting "W-why… um… why d-did y-you save me?"

He grunted before replying, "why does it matter?"

"it… I…" she broke their gaze. She couldn't look at him; he just seemed so unsympathetic, like he _wanted_ to make her cry.

"Well, tell me. Why does it matter?" he continued his ominous glare, "aren't you grateful that I even bothered to save your life?"

She quivered at the tone of his voice, _he's mad now… he's going to kill me…_ she thought.

"Say something Hinata" he got up from his seat and walked over to kneel down in front of her. With one hand he pulled her head up to face him; her eyes were wet with tears that were threatening to fall. "What do you want me to say Hinata? That I care about you and maybe that I even love you and that's why I saved you? Is that what you want to hear?!"

Her paled eyes widened in horror as he brought his face closer to hers, his voice sent shivers through her body as the tears fell. His words hit her hard, what was he implying? Those thoughts never even crossed her mind. Come to think of it, she didn't know why she needed to know, nor did she know what she wanted to hear him say.

"NO!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, "get away from me!" she brought her arms up to push him away. Sasuke complied and took his arms away and stood in front of her, his onyx eyes glaring down at her quivering form.

Outside the drama infested room, curious footsteps stop briefly at the door before leaving.

"Y-you… I w-would never e-expect you… to s-say something like t-that!" Hinata stuttered through deep breaths, "you s-said i-it yourself! You said y-you h-hated me! So why then would you s-save me?!"

His face softened slightly from its threatening gaze to his usually apathetic look, "I do hate you, don't mistake that for anything else" he paused, momentarily lost in his thoughts, "you betrayed me and you betrayed yourself. You made me a promise and you broke it, I could only feel hate for you" when her eyes met his again he turned to look away "as for the reason I saved you… I don't have an answer; I don't know why I saved you."

Hinata continued to look at him with a perplexed expression, "p-please leave… I d-don't w-want you h-here… please."

He turned to take once last glance at her "gladly" he seethed before picking up his meal and scroll, leaving her in her own solitude.

The instant the door shut behind him she crumbled, the tears she tried desperately to hold back grew in intensity and loud sobs accompanied them. On the other side of the door, Sasuke's face showed nothing but indifference though an awkward feeling emerged in his heart. He ignored it and swiftly left only gaining a sympathetic expression from Juugo who was seated at the end of the hall where it led out to the living area.

* * *

It was not long after Sasuke left her that she crawled into bed and wept until she fell asleep. When she awoke nothing had changed, everything in the room remained untouched, _he_ had not returned and that relieved her.

Hinata's emotions could only be described as chaotic. She was scared and angry, not entirely sure what she should do. She certainly did not want to stay here anymore, the man Sasuke had become was so much worse than she could ever imagine and she wanted nothing to do with him. She wondered how someone like him was so important to Naruto, how could Naruto risk his life to bring the treacherous cold hearted Uchiha back to Konoha. The Uchiha would bring nothing good to the village; he should just be forgotten by everyone including Naruto. _Uchiha Sasuke is a lost cause_.

Hinata did not care that her wound was nowhere near healed or that leaving would run the risk of getting attacked. It did not even cross her mind that getting herself captured would not only dishonor her family but it would allow the secrets of the Byakugan to lay in the hands of another. At this point the only thing that mattered to the Hyuuga heiress was getting as far away from Sasuke as possible.

She went to grab her clothes which have yet to have been washed when she was interrupted by a soft knock on the door. Frozen on her spot, Hinata eyed the door nervously, she was fearful that it was Sasuke and she wanted more than anything to never see him again. There was another knock but this time it was accompanied by an unfamiliar voice.

"Excuse me Hinata if I'm interrupting you, my name is Juugo" there was a brief pause, "umm, may I come in? I've brought some warm soup for you and your bandages need to be changed."

She was taken out of her daze when the man knocked again. Hesitantly she walked to the door and cautiously slid it open, coming face to face with a tall blonde man.

The man smiled at her, "are you feeling better?"

She made a small sound and nodded.

"So may I come in?"

Hinata continued to look curiously at the man, not sure if he could be trusted but eventually she let him in. Something about him was calming and instinct didn't tell her to shoo him away.

"This is just miso soup, something to warm you up and hopefully make you feel better" he placed the tray on the table, "it's still hot so it's probably best to let it cool down a bit."

"A-alright, t-thank y-you" she replied meekly.

"Now if you don't mind, your bandages need to be changed" he pulled out a roll of new bandages.

"B-but… b-but" she said anxiously while a soft blush tinted her cheeks.

The man arched an eyebrow at her and let out a soft chuckle, "I understand if you're uncomfortable, but it'd be much better to remove your dirty bandages. It's just your waist and I'll be fast."

"I c-can d-do it myself" she squeaked.

"Alright, if you insist" the blonde handed her the bandages and turned to give her privacy.

Hinata lifted up the robe she had on and quickly removed the dirty bandages, wincing slightly when a part of it that was caked on with her blood pulled at her skin. Once the dirty bandages were fully removed, she began on the new ones, starting at her stomach she wrapped it around. After about the third lap around her waist she noticed that she had made it too loose and it was a little lopsided. It was difficult bandaging herself while trying to hold up the robe. She sighed in defeat and turned to face Juugo's back.

"Umm… I t-think I n-need help"

"Alright, is it ok for me to turn around?" he asked respectfully.

"Y-yes"

"Don't worry, I'll make it fast" Juugo turned around and walked over to assist the young Hyuuga heiress.

Minutes later he was complete and ushered her over to have some of the soup. While she ate, Juugo cleaned the room, disposing of the dirty bandages and other items, even taking her dirty clothes to be washed. He returned shortly before she finished the soup and took the seat that Sasuke usually took.

"So… you and Sasuke are friends?" he asked her inquisitively.

She was baffled, where in the world did he get that idea, "N-no" she answered.

"You're not friends?"

"No, w-we're not f-friends"

"How do you two know each other?"

"W-well…" she wasn't sure if she really wanted to say it but she did anyway, "w-we used t-to be f-friends when we w-were younger."

"Used to be?"

"Y-yea, it ended a l-long time ago" she dropped her head guiltily.

"Oh… that's unfortunate, but it seems Sasuke still cares deeply for you"

She blinked at the man in bewilderment, "w-what?"

Juugo laughed at her reaction before responding, "he brought you here, then tended to your wound, and then sat in the room with you for a day and a half until you awoke."

"Sa-Sasuke did that?" her eyes were wide with surprise.

"He might not show it or maybe he doesn't know how, especially after living with only hate for so long but I do believe that he genuinely cares about you Hinata"

"B-but, he… w-what he s-said before-" she was cut off.

"Don't take it too seriously, he's hurt" Juugo tilted his head to eye the indigo haired kunoichi, "I believe I overheard something about… a broken promise?"

"Y-you heard?"

"I was walking by" he paused and gave her a reassuring smile, "he's still angry about it apparently but don't worry about it, he'll come around."

Hinata blinked at him, unsure how she should respond to his assurances.

"Just give him some time, Sasuke's not such a bad guy and if you happen to be the one to capture his affection don't let him go" he grinned at the thought, "apparently there are many women vying for his love, but in all honesty there's something different about you."

Hinata's cheeks burned as a florescent red took over; _does Sasuke really care about me?_

"Anyway, since you're done your soup let me take it out and I'll leave you so you can rest"

Hinata nodded and watched as the man removed the tray from in front of her, "t-thank you f-for taking c-care of me" she smiled brightly at the blonde.

"It was my pleasure; if you need anything don't hesitate. There's only three of us here so it wouldn't be hard to find me if you need anything"

"Three?"

"Yes, Sasuke, Karin, and I are the only ones that occupy this place"

"Oh alright" Hinata replied as the man moved to leave but she stopped him before he walked through the doorway, "will you c-come back a-again? I e-enjoyed your c-company."

"I would love to but until then get some rest… and by the way, if you get antsy from sitting in here you're free to wander as you please just watch out for Karin" a small smirk crept onto his face as he contemplated his choice of words, "she's… the jealous type" he finished.

"Jealous type?" she questioned curiously, "jealous of what?"

"Um, nothing, never mind I said anything" he lightly chuckled before making his way out the door, the two said their 'good-byes.'

Juugo walked towards the kitchen to dispose of the tray into the sink when he nearly walked into a brooding Uchiha. He knew why Sasuke was being exceptionally gloomy today; he had heard Sasuke's words directed at Hinata not long ago.

"I've fed her and changed her bandages" Juugo said but only got a grunt from his teammate, "will you still be checking on her?"

Sasuke thought intently about the question before answering, "I suppose so, but you can take care of her tomorrow I've got plans to train all day."

**

* * *

**

**A/N:** In terms of writing, the first half was pretty poorly written, I tried to fix it, I really did... -sigh-  
Does Juugo seem OOC? I wouldn't know cause we don't see enough of him! Hear that Kishimoto?! We need more Juugo! -shakes fist- forget Suigetsu and Karin... eghh... whatever, I like my Juugo.

Anyway, thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed and please remember to review.

P.S. I wrote a Hinata centric AU sports related fic, hockey related specifically.  
**Summary:** A hockey team of cocky boys encounter a spectacular goalie. How will they react when they find out the face behind the mask is that of a girl? The timid Hyuuga heiress to be exact.  
Click my profile and give it a read!


	15. Hate Is Too Strong a Word

**A/N:** This week I present for your reading pleasure a muddled and confused teenage Uchiha. (sigh)

Thanks to all those who reviewed last chapter!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**CHAPTER 15: Hate Is Too Strong a Word**

Splinters and wood chips scattered in the air and fell to the dirt floor, while loud crashing sounds played in time with the cracking of the tree. His bloodied knuckles continuously slammed against the dark bark with no intention of stopping, he was mad at himself for showing weakness and vulnerability and this particular tree was very unlucky today. To the average person, the kindness he showed to Hinata would not constitute weakness and vulnerability, but to Sasuke that was exactly what it was.

Sasuke had intentionally gone out of his way to help a girl, but not just any girl at that, it was a girl who had betrayed him. She was the one person he allowed into his life during the time when he was young and wary of getting too close to anyone, and in the end she wounded him. Now, after he spent all his time convincing himself that she meant absolutely nothing to him, she turns up out of nowhere and he feels some ridiculous obligation to take care of her. He was miserably angry with himself; he should have never brought her back with him. He was running the risk of getting too close to her… again.

Even to the untrained eye of a loveless man, the Uchiha's feelings towards the Hyuuga heiress were blatantly apparent. It was even clear to Sasuke himself that he cared for her to some extent and he surely did not need anyone to point it out. It had even crossed his mind that maybe he should make an attempt to rebuild their past relationship, that way he would be one step closer to achieving his last ambition and with someone he cared about. Not only did he actual care about her but he genuinely got along with her better than any other woman he had met in his life.

He could still remember her gentle demeanour and their shared memories under their tree, moments when they confided in one another. They were able to relate the anguish that both had suffered at the hands of their fathers and siblings. She was a substantial part of his life and he would never forget that, and in truth he had wanted it to remain that way forever. Ninja are forced to grow up faster than normal village civilians and at the tender age of twelve he was fully capable of comprehending the magnitude of their relationship. In a sense, he had considered her his best friend and had decided in his mind that one day they would be more than friends.

Now here they were, many years later and they couldn't even be called friends, not even acquaintances. A more appropriate descriptive would be strangers. He was certain that both had changed enough that it couldn't be said that they knew each other anymore. He had changed significantly, that was for sure. He was so different from the boy she knew that it garnered looks of repulse when their gazes met. It was crystal clear that she no longer saw what she did when they were young. He almost felt guilty for what he had become, for being so power hungry that he turned his back on everything to the point he would sell his soul to the devil and in essence he did.

Sasuke continued to furiously beat the tree as if it were attacking him back, at one point he even considered using Chidori to blow it up. His thoughts were scrambled and he didn't know what to make of everything. Was it wrong for him to go after her and bring her back? Did he mean what he had said to her yesterday? Did he really hate her? It didn't take him long to come up with an answer. No, he didn't hate her, it was quite the opposite but he could not say that he loved her either. His feelings for her were more along the lines of adoration and if it truly was love, it was not the time to acknowledge it. Any form of hate he held against her resembled resentment and anger; wounded betrayal.

He threw one last tree shattering punch and watched as the tree cracked and split down the center, falling to either side. He took a seat on the half log that now sat on the floor and investigated his damage to his knuckles. As his eyes surveyed the cuts, scrapes, and blood trails, his mind wandered back to thoughts of an indigo haired kunoichi. Could she really still be the one he wanted to restore his clan? What would he have to do to redeem himself in her eyes? Would she ever be able to accept him? Would he be able to return to Konoha for her sake if she did accept him in her life? Would Konoha accept him back or execute him?

The answer to the last question was evident, he knew full well that the likelihood of being executed was as strong as witnessing Naruto go without ramen for a year. He was the last Uchiha after all and without him the village would lose their precious Sharingan. It would just be a matter of exacting a punishment that fit the crime and he doubted the chances of being handed a harsh punishment. Not once since his departure had he killed a citizen of Konoha nor did he ever act in a manner that would directly harm the village. But all of that was unimportant at the moment, what he needed to figure out was how he felt about the Hyuuga heiress.

Sasuke stood to his feet and took a glance at the setting sun in the horizon while a cold gust billowed in his direction; it would be a cold night. He turned back around and walked back towards the lair that now was the only home he had. Once he entered it didn't take long for Karin to notice his bloody knuckles and rush to his side, making a big fuss over a few minor scrapes.

"What happened to you?" she demanded an answer.

"Training"

"Training? What sort of training by yourself gave you bloody knuckles?" she took his hands in hers and examined them, "were you fighting a tree or something?" she joked.

"Yes"

Karin looked at him wide eyed before letting out a sigh and rolling her eyes. She brought one hand out from under his and rested it over top while it glowed green. Although her medical skills were very basic, she was able to heal the little cuts efficiently.

"There, it's all better now" she stated happily, proud of her handiwork, "how about you come have dinner with me; I don't want to eat all alone."

The Uchiha glared at her in annoyance. He was grateful that she had healed his hands, although it wasn't necessary in the first place but sitting at a table alone with her was something he had no desire to experience. He would lose his appetite in the midst of her flirting and eyelash fluttering.

"I'll pass, why don't you go eat with Juugo?" he asked irritated and not really caring for an answer.

"Cause I don't want to eat with Juugo, I want to eat with you Sasuke" and then it started, she pulled one hand up and took her glasses off to make her fluttering lashes more visible. If Sasuke was not the indifferent stoic type, he would have grimaced in disgust instead of holding a straight face. "Besides, Juugo's been locked up in your room with that whore all day. I can hear them talking and laughing from my room, I really don't know how he expects me to come up with a cure when they're so disruptive" she stopped when she noticed a hint of anger in Sasuke's usually calm expression.

"Talking and laughing all day?" he asked in a low and harsh tone.

Karin reclaimed her hands and backed up slightly at the angry gleam in his eyes, "ahh…yea… they've been in there practically all day" she replied nervously.

Sasuke turned on his heels out of the living area and walked straight for his room, which he had given to her while he took shelter in another. He walked in large strong strides until he reached the door and the soft muffled sounds of Hinata's laughter seeped out of the room. He had no time to wonder why rage swelled up inside him or why the concept of Juugo and Hinata being so friendly made something in him stir unpleasantly. The fingers of his left hand closed into a rounded fist while his other hand reached for the knob and opened the door. His jaw clenched tightly at the image before him, on the floor sat the two in question. They sat across from each other with trays off to the side while a deck of cards sat in between them. Both of them immediately noticed his presence and watched him curiously.

"Sasuke, how was training?" Juugo asked with a slight smile, immediately discerning the Uchiha's discontented mood.

"Fine" he seethed, eyeing the two.

"Alright then!" Juugo stood up to his feet, "I should clean up the mess" he moved to pick up the trays and various disposable items such as wrappers from the snacks they had shared. On his way out he said a quick 'good night' to Hinata and gave a light pat to Sasuke's arm and mouthed 'calm down' before disappearing into the distance.

Sasuke watched as Hinata hastily picked up the cards into a neat deck before inserting it into its box. He was somewhat calmer than he had been before when he entered; knowing now that whatever had gone on between the two seemed to be innocent.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked just to break the awkward silence that never existed when they were kids.

"Y-yea…" she avoided eye contact as she placed the cards on the table and took a seat on the edge of the bed, "I s-should be w-well enough t-to head home alone s-soon."

He wasn't quite sure how to feel about her statement, so he only nodded in acknowledgement but it was not that it was worth anything because she was not even looking at him.

Juugo had come in early that day and ended up spending the entire day with Hinata, she really did enjoy his company and found him to be pleasant to talk to. Juugo was a wise and insightful man and she found that he could easily enlighten her with a simple phrase. The way he spoke of Sasuke in such an endearing manner made her feel guilty for doubting his motives for caring. He had kept reiterating how much Sasuke cared about her and suggested that she give Sasuke a chance at being friends once more. The blonde proved to be quite effective because by the end of the night she actually wanted to see the last Uchiha, pondering the possibility that maybe she had misinterpreted him as a cold hearted traitor.

They had not just spent the entire day talking about just Sasuke of course. Her curiosity got the best of her and she asked him why he was with Sasuke to begin with and he had revealed to her everything about his past. He had mentioned that he didn't feel threatened by her and was therefore comfortable revealing all the details of his life up until now. She had learned that he willingly went in search of Orochimaru and that the sweet and gentle man before her was cursed and could turn into nothing but a blood lusting murderer. He had sought Orochimaru for a cure and not as a source of power as Sasuke had. He had also made known that it was his blood that was utilized to change people into monsters with extraordinary power and that Sasuke was one of Orochimaru's minions who held the curse seal, which allowed him to tap into that immense power.

He had also confided that Orochimaru had never given him a cure in the end and the reason he was with Sasuke was because the last Uchiha was able to stop him when he lost control. Hinata was amazed that the blonde who had been so kind to her the last two days could turn into a murderous monster. She was relieved to hear that he was presently waiting for a cure that Sasuke had asked Karin to make and suddenly Sasuke didn't seem like such a bad guy.

She inquired about what he intended to do after he was cured and he gave her no indication that he had figured that out. This led her to suggest that he escort her back when she was fully healed and when he was cured. Her compassion was evident when she said she would speak on his behalf and help convince the Hokage to let him join as a Konoha civilian; she would tell them that he saved her from the attack and tended to her wounds which would only be a half lie. But aside from his association with the evil Sannin which was not with ill intent, Hinata felt that this man deserved better and deserved to live a normal life and that Konoha could offer that.

Her thoughts of the blonde were interrupted when Sasuke, who she forgot was even there, grunted loudly to get her attention. She met his eyes curiously and blinked rapidly when he didn't say anything but just stared at her. She couldn't read his face either, as he held his usual impassive expression. The two continued to look at each other in awkward silence before Hinata broke it and turned to crawl under the sheets, it was a cold night and she felt worse under his unreadable gaze. She turned on the bed to watch as he took his usual seat across the room; his face look contemplative.

"A-are you a-alright Sasuke?" she asked nervously, not sure if he would get angry like the previous day.

"Hn"

She wasn't certain whether to take his response as a yes, no, or so so; so she said nothing at all. The situation was starting to get uncomfortable and a little part of her wanted him to leave so she could sleep.

"Hinata..." he said quietly almost at a whisper, "I'm sorry…"

She didn't say anything but watched him inquisitively.

"About yesterday…"

"Oh… I understand" she nodded under the sheets that were pulled up to her nose, "y-you have r-reason to be m-mad at me, it's alright."

"Do you hate me?" his voice sincere although his face was apathetic, he didn't even meet her eyes.

Hinata thought about his question before answering, in truth she didn't need to think about it, she never hated him at all. To her, hate was such a strong word and she never liked the thought of hating anyone, not even Sasuke.

"No" her soft voice was muffled by the sheet over her mouth but he heard her, "do y-you h-hate me?"

"No" he answered without hesitation.

"Alright, t-that makes m-me feel better" she smiled under her sheets though he couldn't see it, but he did see her eyes light up slightly revealing that there was indeed a genuine smile hidden.

For the rest of the evening the tension between them lightened enough to allow for lighthearted conversations varying from his teammates to how everyone in Konoha was doing. It was the first time in years that the two old friends had talked like that and Hinata noticed her stutter slowly fade and she was amazed at how fast she felt comfortable around him although his face remained indifferent and was nothing like when they were younger.

It had only taken an hour for the cool night air to set in and she shuddered under her sheets. The Hyuuga heiress was accustomed to a soft bed with a warm comforter at home or sleeping by a fire on missions, but sleeping in this lair left a lot to be desired. She had found it cold the previous few nights but tonight was particularly colder and it was obvious she felt it.

"Are you cold?" he asked her as she pulled the thin sheet closely to her.

"Yea, a little"

"I'll go look for some extra blankets"

"Thank you" she was grateful that he was being kind again and not the resentful man she encountered the day before. She watched intently as he moved to leave the room, he blew out the few stray candles on his way out having noticed her yawn a few times while they talked.

Sasuke returned later with nothing in hand, he figured it made sense that the snake man Sannin wouldn't have spare blankets; he was probably cold blooded anyway. When Sasuke had returned to inform her, he found a half asleep form huddled on the bed shivering. She murmured something incoherent when he broke the news that there were no spare blankets.

Sasuke turned to leave her to sleep but was stopped by an odd sound that sounded a lot like teeth chattering. He spun back to eye her sleeping form, whose back was to him, she was still shivering. If she continued like that into the night, she would catch a cold. He stood silently for a few moments before making his decision. Walking towards the room's door, he shut it so that no light came in, then he walked back to the bed and lifted up the sheet to slide in next to her. Of course he had previously removed his sandals and wrist guards, deciding against removing any clothing, this was Hyuuga Hinata after all.

Once he was completely under the blanket, he snuggled up behind her and wrapped an arm around her small waist. He instantly felt her body tense and jerk away from his.

"W-what are y-you d-doing?" her voice was nervous and flustered.

"You're cold and I can't find any extra blankets" he pulled her back against his chest, "if you sleep cold like that, you'll get sick."

"Pl-please don't S-Sasu-ke"

"Just go to sleep Hina"

He had never called her Hina before, only Kiba had ever used that pet name, but it sounded nice coming from Sasuke. Hinata's body relaxed ever so slightly at the heat resonating off his chest, it was comforting but at the same time felt wrong.

Her mind kept flashing images of Naruto and she thought about how much she would prefer him over Sasuke. She felt a little guilty as well for being so intimate with Sasuke, even though it wasn't like she and Naruto were a couple. But she couldn't deny that being there with Sasuke felt nice, not necessarily right but her body was beginning to feel much warmer and soon after she drifted off to sleep.

**

* * *

**

**A/N:** This chapter took a long time to edit. I still don't know if I like it or hate it.

Oh well, I hoped you enjoyed it! Until next time. Please Review!


	16. Introspection

**A/N:** This is important. It's become apparent that some of the readers may have been confused as to Sakura's role in this story… I'm sorry to disappoint the Sakura haters but she is NOT dead. Chapter 3 explains what happened and she makes an appearance in chapter 4 and this chapter. I apologize if I wasn't clear in my writing.

As always, thank you to all the lovely reviewers! I'm almost at 200 reviews which is double my original goal. I'm amazed and forever grateful.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

**

* * *

**

CHAPTER 16: Introspection

Warm moist breaths tickled the side of her neck where her hair had fallen aside. She felt extremely contented, her entire sleep had not been interrupted once. She had slept through the entire night in perfect bliss. Although her body was pestering her to wake she held on to sleep defiantly, it was too good to get up. Usually her nights spent in that bed were mediocre at best, but today was something else. Today was perfect, she felt warm and cozy snuggled under the sheets and any thoughts of getting up were pushed out of mind.

She leaned back into the warmth behind her when she felt something wrapped around her waist tug at her, her eyes snapped open in fright at finally realizing that she was not alone in bed. Cautiously she turned her head to look over her shoulder while her eyes were winced shut in frightened anticipation. Now she was face to face with her bed intruder aside from her shoulder which was the only obstruction in her line of sight. His slow rhythmic breaths could be felt on her cheek as she braced herself. Her lids unhurriedly slid open revealing her milky lavender eyes which widened in horror at the sight.

"SA-SASUKE?!" she squeaked and then instinctively brought both arms up to push him away. The next thing she heard was a loud thud on the ground as onyx eyes snapped open then disappeared over the edge of the bed.

"Oh no! Sasuke! Are you okay?" she asked worriedly leaning over the edge to get a look at him. There on the floor was a half-asleep half-pissed off Uchiha glaring at her in annoyance while he rubbed one of his shoulders. She was reminded of a common phrase: if looks could kill.

Hinata backed off the edge of the bed nervously after meeting his eyes, "I'm s-sorry Sasuke… you s-scared me" she stuttered out just enough for him to hear but she only received a grunt in response from the Uchiha.

Sasuke continued to glare at the fearful girl as he pulled himself up into a sitting position, _what was that for? It's not like I violated her while she slept or something_, he thought angrily.

His thoughts shifted to something else when his eyes roamed her body and noted that the tie to her robe had loosened and the opening around her neck revealed her flawless porcelain pale skin. A few strands of her hair rested over her collar bones. His eyes continued to follow the edge of the robe until the other half crossed over it displaying just enough of her cleavage and lacy sky blue bra to make 

Sasuke wonder why he ever considered swearing off the opposite gender. He had noticed what nature blessed her with when he removed her sweater that day she was wounded but he never thought much about it then, but now was definitely going to be a whole other story. The shy little Hyuuga Hinata he remembered had grown up and although she was cute back then, now she was drop dead gorgeous and he couldn't think of anyone who could rival her natural beauty.

Hinata blinked confusedly at him, he had a dreamy expression on his face that she'd never seen before and his lips were parted slightly and not in his usual scowl. _Did he bump his head?_ She thought silently before forming a more appropriate question, "Sasuke, are y-you feeling alright?"

Sasuke was ripped out of his utopia when he heard Hinata's soft voice laced with a hint of worry. He met her eyes and pulled on an impassive expression before he let out a deep grunt and with one hand pointed at her.

Hinata continued to blink, wondering if he had lost his bearings, then she brought her eyes down to where he was pointing at. A high squeak exited her mouth and her hands shot up to pull the robe firmly around her form making sure to cover up everything up to her collar bones. She turned around to face her back to him as deep blush graced her cheeks; she quickly retied to robe in a double knot making sure it would not loosen itself again.

"Umm… I didn't see anything…" Sasuke lied, hoping it would make her feel more comfortable. If she knew the thoughts racing through his head, it would certainly make her more than uncomfortable unless she's the kinky type then he would have some fun. _Damn!_ He scolded himself inwardly at his perverted thoughts. She didn't say anything but she was still fidgeting nervously.

He contemplated what to do next when she slowly swiveled around and met his gaze with a weak smile, she was still blushing madly. The silence among them was likely the most awkward moment they had shared in their short but meaningful relationship. Fortunately for both, it was broken by a loud grumbling of Hinata's stomach and her blush grew an even deeper shade of red if that was even possible.

"Hungry?" he asked with a gentle smirk.

Hinata nodded and gave him another smile.

"There's probably not anything to eat yet so I'll have to go make something" he stood to his feet and pulled on the sandals and wrist guards he discarded the previous night, "I'll be back later with breakfast."

"Umm…" Sasuke watched Hinata curiously as she attempted to form her words, "can I come with you? I can help" she had been stuck in the room for a few days now and although she was allowed out she was never brave enough to venture out.

"Sure"

"Alright" she said happily with a very bright and cheerful smile that left Sasuke temporarily mesmerized before he was snapped back to reality when she got up and stood beside him.

Sasuke led her out of the room and into the kitchen area; together they began to make breakfast before the two other occupants awoke.

The two Konoha shinobi prepared breakfast in silence only speaking when it was absolutely necessary for coordination purposes. It had been years since Sasuke tasted anything made by the Hyuuga heiress and the chances were that her food could only grow better with experience and he found that he was thoroughly looking forward to breakfast. They prepared a large bowl of soup, a plate of rice balls stuffed with various types stuffing, another plate of vegetables and fruits, and a few other dishes. The variety was meek seeing as the resources for breakfast were lacking the richness Hinata was accustomed to at the Hyuuga mansion, but nonetheless she was satisfied with breakfast preparations because she loved cooking. Her passion for cooking was comparable to that of her commitment to the life of a shinobi and could even match the love that ran so deep for her family and friends.

Ever since Sasuke formed Hebi, he had never once made any effort to make a meal, the job was usually left to either Juugo or Karin and he never felt any obligation to assist them in any way, shape, or form. If nothing had been prepared then he'd grab whatever he deemed suitable and minimally troublesome, occasionally he would even rather go into town and buy something to eat. But today was different, it was still very early in the morning and neither Juugo or Karin were awake to prepare breakfast and so Sasuke found himself in the kitchen of all places, slicing, dicing, stirring, frying, plating, and how ever many other descriptions existed that could express the mere act of cooking.

Yes, today was drastically different than most, in the kitchen with him was Hyuuga Hinata. Although his face remained usually impassive, internally he was anything but that, his heart beats were loud and thunderous and continued to grow in intensity with every glimpse he caught of the indigo haired beauty. She was by his side again and this time he didn't have a sword pointed at her while he issued threats to her life, this time they stood side by side contently. He truly did miss her presence in his life and he was not afraid to admit it to himself. Back when they were children she severed the tie that held their bond together, and even though he knew she had done it willingly he never fought it nor did it even cross his mind, he just simply let himself be consumed by the hatred that Itachi left him which was only added to by Hinata's betrayal. He never fought for her; he let her go in his hatred and madness. This time would be different just like how the day was different, this time he would fight.

A tall blonde entered the kitchen as Hinata placed the last plate on the rounded table. "Good morning" Juugo greeted cheerfully before taking his seat and eyed the dishes hungrily.

"Good morning Juugo, how did you sleep?" Hinata asked warmly while taking her own seat.

"It was alright, I had trouble sleeping and was up really early" he replied, "your clothes have been washed and I left them in your room."

"Okay thanks Juugo" Hinata answered gratefully and the two began eating.

Sasuke stayed leaning on the counter as Juugo's words registered, _had Juugo dropped off the clothes earlier when we were still asleep?_ Sasuke wondered as he glared at the blonde who gave a curt nod of acknowledgement.

A few minutes passed before a loud red headed woman entered and ran straight to Sasuke's side and clung onto him in a manner that resembled groping, earning the pair puzzled blinks from Hinata, _that's Karin… she's really pretty. I wonder what Sasuke thinks of her,_ Hinata thought to herself, _maybe they're together… they would make an attractive couple_. She continued to amuse herself with thoughts of the indifferent, cold, and distant Uchiha declaring his love and emotions to a woman. She giggled at the image but abruptly stopped when three pairs of eyes locked onto hers.

"What's so funny girl?" Karin reacted angrily while coming face to face with Hinata.

"Oh, ahh… n-n-nothing" Hinata fidgeted under the red head's glare.

"Stupid girl" Karin declared before returning to Sasuke's side, "hey Sasuke, were you waiting for me to start breakfast?"

"No" he replied coldly and took a seat between Hinata and Juugo.

Hinata watched the exchange in agitation, that girl really scared Hinata. She brought her rice bowl up to her mouth and shoveled in some rice while covering half her face.

Throughout breakfast, Karin continued to glare at Hinata and the poor Hyuuga was sweating buckets along her neck and back. Trying to ignore the woman, Hinata started up various conversations with Juugo who was a good conversationalist and took her mind off the murderous woman at the table.

It had not taken long for the four to complete their meal and that was when it dawned on Hinata that these people resembled a family to Sasuke. Suddenly Hinata felt very out of place and her heart wrenched at the memory of her own family and friends. She wondered if anyone was looking for her, it had been a few days since she arrived here and probably about a day since she was suppose to arrive home.

"Umm, e-excuse me" she interrupted the blabbering of the red head to get Sasuke's attention.

"What is it?" he asked in a detached tone.

Hinata shrunk a little under the death glare of Karin and almost forgot what she was about to say, "I w-was wondering if I c-could… w-well it's b-been a f-few days now a-and people are p-probably starting t-to worry a-about me and I-" Hinata was rudely cut off.

"Tch, who would care enough to worry about a weak girl like you" Karin insulted the Hyuuga heiress relentlessly, "I bet no one has even noticed that you're missing."

Hinata's pale eyes welled up with tears as the woman's words hit her like a brick, she stammered to reply but couldn't come up with the words.

"Karin, leave" Sasuke glowered at Karin.

"What? Tell her to leave! She doesn't even belong here!" Karin stood to her feet and screamed her words loudly, "can't you see she's just another one of your hated fan-girls, how can we be together if she's here. Throw her out!"

"We're not together nor will we ever be together" Sasuke stood and met her at eye level to make sure she got the message, "I said leave Karin, you still need to complete Juugo's cure."

"Right, like I'll do it if you ask me like that!"

"You will do it voluntarily or I will force you" Sasuke replied sternly.

"Fine, I'll leave and make that damn cure so the brute can leave!" she turned to leave but took one last glance at Hinata and then spoke, "you, make sure I don't see you again or you'll regret it!"

Hinata immediately crumbled once the woman was out of sight, tears streaming down her cheeks amidst silent sobs. Juugo placed a hand on her shoulder and rubbed soothingly to ease her nerves, "just ignore her Hinata."

Hinata nodded and slowly leaned into the blonde for comfort, it had only been a few days with these people but she couldn't help but feel at ease in Juugo's company. She closed her eyes and willed the tears and sobs to cease while Juugo eyed Sasuke curiously hoping Sasuke would respond to the girl somehow. To his dismay, Sasuke made no attempt to comfort the girl but only watched indifferently as her shallow breathing began to calm.

"Are you feeling better?" Juugo asked warmly.

"Y-yea" Hinata replied wiping the tears that stained her cheeks.

"Good, maybe you should go get cleaned up"

"A-alright" at this very moment she wanted to go home more than anything, "umm… I w-wanted to a-ask…" both men watched her string the words together, "c-can I send a m-message h-home and have s-someone accompany me back to K-konoha?"

Juugo turned to Sasuke wide eyed at the request and awaited an answer.

"It can't be done" Sasuke paused and met her gaze, "I don't want Konoha shinobi coming here, especially if Naruto came then he'd never leave until I agreed to return."

"Oh, I understand" Hinata's head drooped in disappointment, "Juugo, do you still wish to return with me when you're cured?"

Sasuke tensed at the question and locked his eyed on the blonde, "I think so, Konoha would be a nice place to get a fresh start once I'm cured" Juugo replied to the Indigo haired kunoichi.

"Alright, I'm glad. You can accompany me back" she smiled happily at Juugo before looking over at Sasuke, "will you ever return Sasuke?"

The Uchiha was stunned by her question and didn't know how to respond, "why do you ask?"

"It would b-be important to Naruto if you r-returned" she paused, "you're important to Naruto."

"Naruto doesn't interest me, I don't need him and he doesn't need me so I have no reason to return in Naruto"

"A-alright… but I hope you do return at least for Naruto's sake" Hinata stood to her feet, "I'll go get cleaned up."

No words were said as Hinata put her dishes in the sink and walked towards the doorway, and then she was stopped by Sasuke. "Is it that important to you that Naruto is happy?"

Hinata turned and blinked at the odd question, _Naruto's happiness was never the topic of discussion_, "yes, I'd like to see Naruto happy."

Sasuke's heart wrenched at her confession and his teeth clenched. The one woman in his life that he desired could only think of that blonde fool. He broke his eyes from hers and moved to clean up the table while Juugo watched the exchange curiously and Hinata left to shower.

* * *

Karin took her seat in the lab that once belonged to Orochimaru and continued her work on Juugo's cure, she was nearly finished. The cure had been mixed with a sample of Juugo's blood and the enzymes that cause Juugo's transformation have been wiped out but the last stage was awaiting potential side effects. So far, everything seem to be going smoothly and she figured that by tomorrow if no side effects turn up then it'd be safe to give Juugo the cure.

But, she was furious at this point and couldn't get the image of that prissy little girl out of her head. Once this cure was completed Juugo would leave thus leaving Sasuke and her, but then there was that Konoha kunoichi here to butt in and she needed to get rid of her too. Karin eyed the sample of Juugo's blood deviously as she devised a plan to rid of the two people standing in the way of her's and Sasuke's love.

* * *

At Ichiraku Ramen sat three of Konoha's finest shinobi. Team seven had just returned from a mission and immediately stopped at the popular ramen stand at the insistence of Naruto. They talked amongst themselves about topics that would only interest them and half the time they bickered. Occasionally Naruto could be heard wailing in pain followed by Sakura's voice berating his foolishness and when Sakura wasn't letting all hell loose on the blonde, he and Sai could be heard arguing though Sai remained calm and happy? A fake happy maybe… their banter consisted of name calling, most of the time Sai would bring up the topic of Naruto's genitalia or apparent lack thereof which would elicit a stream of colorful words from the blonde. Then that would lead to another beating by the pink haired medic. It was a cycle that the poor fox boy was stuck in and pounded incessantly by the unnaturally strong Sakura.

The three were joined later by two members of team eight; both Kiba and Shino took seats at the end.

"Hey guys!" Naruto greeted the pair happily.

They both greeted Naruto and the rest of team seven before placing their orders. The five took up talking casually about nothing particularly important. In the middle of their meal Sakura noticed she was the only girl amongst the group.

"Where is Hinata today?" she asked the pair.

Kiba shrugged his shoulders before answering, "she was sent on her first solo mission four days ago… actually she should be back already but we haven't seen her yet."

"Hinata got a solo mission?!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Yea, c-ranked, to escort someone to Rice Field Country" Kiba replied in between slurps of his ramen.

"We should stop by the Hyuuga compound and welcome her home" Shino added.

"Yea!" both Naruto and Kiba said excitedly.

The five finished their ramen and cheerfully walked over to the Hyuuga compound. Shino and Sai remained relatively quiet while Naruto and Kiba chattered loudly and Sakura sighed to herself repeatedly at the people surrounding her.

They walked through the gates and up towards the main entrance of the mansion and Kiba knocked. The door was opened by a short older lady who was probably a servant.

"Hi! We're here to see Hinata" Kiba greeted the lady.

"I apologize but lady Hinata is not available" the woman replied with a polite bow.

"What do you mean she's not available?" Shino's calm voice came from the back of the group.

"She has yet to return from her mission"

"What?!" came a few stray voices from the group, mainly Naruto, Sakura, and Kiba.

Their voices rang through the doorway and resonated throughout the foyer of the Hyuuga mansion, as the five gave each other worried glances.

"You may leave, I'll handle this" came a deep male voice from behind the woman.

"Neji!" Kiba's eyes widened at the sight of Hinata's cousin, "where's Hinata?"

"She hasn't returned from her mission yet" he looked grim.

"Are you alright Neji? You look like you didn't sleep well last night" Sakura asked worriedly as she intently watched his face.

"Hinata was suppose to return last night at the very latest" he began his explanation, "I stayed up waiting for her, she's never been late before and if she was she would send a message."

"Have you talked to the Hokage" Sai asked the Hyuuga prodigy, his face did not seem worried but instead looked indifferent.

"I talked to her this morning, she hasn't receive any word from Hinata either" he paused and observed the faces, "she's sent a message to the man Hinata escorted and we're now waiting for a reply. I was just about to head to the Hokage tower to see if he's replied yet."

"We'll come with you then" Shino replied and the rest nodded in agreement.

The group of six set off towards the Hokage tower and Neji couldn't help but feel grateful for the amount of people who cared about his little cousin.

They arrived at their destination and were waiting outside Tsunade's office while she debriefed another team for their mission. The four man cell exited the office minutes later and the six were ushered in.

"I suppose you're all here about Hinata?" Tsunade asked with a raised brow.

"Yes, have you received any word on her status" Neji inquired respectfully.

"Jo's reply came in a few hours ago" she pulled out a rolled up paper from a round cylinder that were usually delivered by hawks, "he said that once he arrived at his village Hinata left and he hasn't seen her since, but he also mentioned that a local innkeeper offered her a room to stay the night and there is a chance she may have taken up on the offer. He says that at this point he is too busy with work to look into it but he will when he gets the chance and will let us know once he meets with the innkeeper."

"So Hinata may be alright after all?" Kiba's expression brightened slightly.

"We can't be certain but if that's the case then Hinata should return tonight" she paused for a moment and looked at Neji whose expression remained grim, "if by tomorrow morning she is not back I will send a team to investigate. Neji, if that happens then you will be leading that team with two of members of your choosing."

"I understand" he bowed, "please let me know immediately if you receive any word."

"I will. You are dismissed now."

* * *

**A/N:** Yea, last part with team 7, 8, and Neji is probably boring but I couldn't just have Hinata go missing without anyone worrying. Karin's plotting something, you'll see what it is next chapter. I'm setting up for some SasuHinaNaru love conflict. Really, what would a Sasuhina fic be without some Naruto interference? Next chapter has another fight scene! Yippee! My second attempt at a fight scene.

On side note, I can't help but feel like this fic is going downhill. I want to say that I'm sorry if it's not to par with the first arc but somehow this is how it comes out. I feel like it gets kind of conventional, cheesy, and tacky… (sobs). Sasuke revealing his emotions may seem OCC but the way I see it is if it's a romance fic then Sasuke's got to crack eventually right? Hm, I don't know… (shrugs) It's my first romance fic and the way it's set up, I think everyone will be OOC at some point. By the way, this is me justifying how bad my characterization gets. I personally don't think Sasuke's a bad guy but Itachi is crazy… on that topic, the last manga chapter was interesting huh? And we're going to get to see some SHINO action! I'm giddy! But anyway, if you're interested in AU fics with non-OOCness you could always check out my hockey fic because Sasuke's a jerk in that one.

One last note, I originally intended for this fic to go 30 or so chapters but it's looking like it might go 40 chapters just so you know.

Okay, next chapter is mildly climatic and then it goes from there. Until then, I hoped this one was good and please let me know your thoughts in a review!


	17. Juugo Plays Matchmaker

**A/N: **To all those who reviewed, your kind words are always appreciated. And those with questions about Hinata's and Juugo's relationsip, this chapter should answere them.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**CHAPTER 17: Juugo Plays Matchmaker**

Sasuke sat back down at the table, across from Juugo after it had been cleaned of the dirty dishes. The two men sat in silence; Sasuke held his signature scowl and Juugo observed his companion, attempting to decipher what was going through the Uchiha's mind.

"So…" Juugo started.

"What?" Sasuke snapped icily.

"Alright, I'll get to my point" he paused noting the iritated expression on Sasuke's face, "what are you planning to do?"

"Do about what?"

"About Hinata"

"Do what about Hinata?"

Juugo narrowed his eyes, _he's either avoiding the question or the genius is really dense_, Juugo pondered to himself but then pressed the matter further, "are you going to let her go back to… to that Naruto kid?"

"I can't stop her from leaving, whether she stays or not is her choice" Sasuke replied coldly.

"I'm well aware that you can't forcibly keep her here" Juugo stopped and observed Sasuke's face which was now impassive, "the distinction I'm trying to make is that when she leaves she'll be returning to one of two things, home or Naruto. Going back to Konoha is one thing but going back to Konoha _because_ of one particular person is different."

"What are you trying to get at?"

"You care about that girl more than you let on" the tall blonde haired man stated with a knowing smirk.

"Hn" Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

Juugo sighed and gave a curt nod before removing himself from his seat and vacating the kitchen.

_Return to Konoha for Naruto?_

* * *

Hinata stepped out of the shower and gently dried herself. She patted the wound, which was healing over nicely, with her towel. After she was dry, she dressed in her clothes which Juugo had washed and placed in her room. She brushed out her tangled hair in the mirror and was pleased to see the same old Hinata she was used to, no longer abnormally pale or worn looking.

Exiting the bathroom, she walked down the hall and contemplated where her feet were taking her. She had the option of going back to her room to do nothing or she could look for Juugo. She opted on the latter and bypassed her bedroom in search of the blonde man she had taken a liking to, he really was good company and made the whole experience of being stuck in a dark creepy lair with a crazy red haired lunatic and a cold hearted Uchiha much more bearable. Although after last night she was starting to doubt her assumptions about Sasuke and his ice heart.

Juugo had briefly mentioned where his room was but she had never ventured out and so was unsure. She cautiously walked through the dark lair lit with torches hanging off the wall and made her way pass the living room area where she jumped slightly in shock when her pale eyes met the hard eyes of the blood red Sharingan.

Sasuke stood at the entrance of the lair, glaring back at her. Any previous softness or compassion that he held the night before and the morning earlier seemed to have vanished. It wasn't hard for her eyes to spot his sudden reversion back to the Sasuke she had encountered a few days ago, the Sasuke she could care less for. Was he mad? Had she done something?

He nonchalantly broke the eye contact and bristly walked out of the lair, hands tightly clenched into strong balled fists. Hinata's eyes blinked rapidly, a slight tinge of worry rippled through her body. _Is he always this angry?_ She wondered before continuing her search for Juugo.

* * *

Sasuke jumped from tree to tree recklessly. His Sharingan fully activated and the three tomoe circled his pupil. He cursed himself for getting thrown off so easily just because that damned girl had said she wanted him to return to Konoha so that Naruto could be happy. She never said she wanted him to return for her… she didn't want him. Hyuuga Hinata wanted Naruto, the clumsy loud mouthed blonde, the vessel of the nine tailed fox demon.

When he heard the words slip from her mouth, he was taken over by a powerful compulsion to destroy something. He was going to find the oldest and largest tree in the forest and beat it until there was nothing left. If along the way he happen to run into some rogue ninja then that would be even better. Heck, he wouldn't mind running into Naruto either just so he could somehow reaffirm his manhood; to prove that he was better than Naruto, not necessarily more deserving but better. But if he did happen to hurt Naruto, he knew Hinata wouldn't see it the same way he would, but at least he would be able to take comfort in the fact that he was indeed a better shinobi.

Sasuke pushed off the last branch and tumbled forward to land on his feet in front of a tree with a large base. He would have started beating at the tree, but whispers off in the distance stole his attention. Stealthily he approached the voices, his Sharingan picking up the few weak chakra signatures indicating that they were ninja.

He knelt down behind some shrubbery making sure to cover his own chakra's presence. A smirk played on his lips as he recognized the village icon visible on their forehead protectors. The three figures were crowded around the spot that Sasuke had found Hinata not long ago. They seem to be trying to find the trail the Hyuuga had taken to escape.

_This would do… much better than a tree_, he said mentally. But he also made sure to voice his intentions inwardly, he was not doing this _for_ Hinata; this would not be some act of chivalry. He was doing this _because_ of Hinata. He would be the first to admit that he was an ill-tempered man and right now he needed someone to take his anger out on. It was purely a coincidence that these cloud shinobi happen to hunting Hinata, it was not the reason he planned to give them a thorough beating.

Sasuke's smirk grew more devious as he refrained from hiding his presence. The cloud shinobi instantly felt him and frantically searched. A handful of shuriken flew out of the forest and the three easily dodged, jumping back and taking up a fighting stance.

"Show yourself" one of the cloud shinobi stated, a kunai held tightly in his hand.

A gust of wind flew past them and in an instant the Uchiha was behind the cloud shinobi that had spoken.

"Hn," a snake came out of Sasuke's sleeve and slithered up the man's body before it constricted. His painful screams resonated through the forest, supplemented by sounds of bone shattering. Sasuke released the man once he was satisfied that the man was sufficiently incapacitated. _You won't be able to touch Hinata,_ he thought absently… and then cursed himself.

The man slumped to the ground, writhing in pain. The other two watched in horror, taking steps away from Sasuke who used his incredible speed to go unseen as he appeared beside one of the others. He met the cloud shinobi's kunai with his katana. They continued for a few brief seconds, clangs of metal against metal sounded. The other shinobi did a few hand signs that didn't go unnoticed to Sasuke.

He ran towards the Uchiha with what appeared to be a lightning bolt anchored to his hand. _Who's this guy think he is? Zeus? _Sasuke laughed inwardly but he kept his expression mostly apathetic, only a slight upturn of his lips could be seen. He jumped upwards and flip back just before the bolt could puncture his back. The shinobi couldn't stop in time and drove the lightning bolt right through his teammate's abdomen. He then yanked the lightning bolt out and watched his teammate fall the ground, hands gripping the open wound.

The last standing cloud shinobi turned to glare into Sasuke's Sharingan eyes.

"An Uchiha" he seethed after finally seeing the Sharingan, "what business do you have attacking us?"

"Hn" Sasuke formed the same hands signs the cloud shinobi had made earlier. As he expected, the same lightning bolt appeared at his hand. He held it up and observed it.

"You Sharingan wielders fight with copied jutsus, it's pathetic" he spat, "like that damn copy ninja, Hatake Kakashi."

Sasuke raised a curious eyebrow as he flailed the lightning bolt in the air in testing.

"Want to see the copy ninja's original technique?" Sasuke asked with a mischievous smirk.

"Original technique?" the cloud ninja asked incredulously, "he doesn't have an original technique, his jutsus are copied."

"Let me enlighten you" Sasuke released the lightning bolt and let chakra fuse in his hand. Seconds later the chakra formed into a ball of electricity and high pitched sounds that resembled chirping birds could be heard.

The cloud shinobi's eyes widened as Sasuke came barreling forward. Without enough time to react, the man went flying backwards. His body hit the ground violently and convulsed as the remnants of Chidori coursed through his body.

"Chidori is better" Sasuke mused to himself before turning to walk towards the nearest village. He was feeling slightly better, but now he had an untimely craving for sake in the middle of the afternoon. Sure, he was still underage but who in their right mind would refuse Uchiha Sasuke, protégé of legendary evil sannin Orochimaru, a drink.

* * *

Hinata had spent most of her day with Juugo as usual. They talked about Konoha and Hinata rambled about how much he'd like it there. They played cards after they had lunch with just each other. Sasuke never showed up and Karin only made an appearance to get food then left in a huff at the sight of Hinata. The day went extremely well after breakfast and she was content.

The pair was now preparing dinner together in anticipation of Sasuke's return from what they assumed was training. Their conversation remained quite casual for the most part until Juugo, to Hinata's surprised asked her something she did not expect.

"How do you feel about Sasuke?" Juugo had waited the entire day before he found the exact right moment to ask his question.

"H-huh? W-why do y-you ask?" she stuttered nervously.

"Just curious" Juugo shrugged his shoulders with a sheepish grin.

"Oh… well I'm n-not sure how I f-feel about him…" Hinata scrunched her nose while feeling uncomfortable with the turn of events.

"Do you care about him?" Juugo continued to prod.

Outside the kitchen, leaning against the wall was a very unhappy Uchiha. His teeth were gritted and his hands clenched. Juugo had done this to him on purpose, the second he sensed Sasuke's presence he started asking her questions about him. Outwardly, Sasuke was fuming mad. Juugo was poking around in business that wasn't his to begin with. But inwardly, Sasuke did his best to keep himself hidden from the Byakugan wielder. He wanted to know what she thought of him.

"C-care about Sasuke?" Hinata's eyes widened at the question, "um… of… of course I do."

"You do?" Juugo asked again, digging for further confirmation.

"Y-yes… I care about his well-being, I wish him well… I'd hate to see him harmed"

Sasuke's body relaxed at her words but tensed again at Juugo's next question.

"Do you love him?"

Hinata scrunched her nose again and thought about how to form her response. She knew how she felt about him when it came to love. It was just a matter of forming the proper words to express herself.

"I… I t-think that when w-we were kids… I didn't understand what it m-meant to l-love someone b-but I knew t-that I c-cared _deeply_ for him" she sighed lightly, "I b-believe that if t-things hadn't turned out t-the way they did then… I m-may have been able to… to l-love him."

"So you're saying you don't love him?"

"My heart… my love b-belongs to someone else" she paused briefly and a dreamy smile played on her lips as she recollected the image of a certain blonde, but snapped out of her daze when she noticed Juugo lean in to look at her, "I m-mean, don't get me wrong, I c-care a lot for S-Sasuke… it's just that t-there's someone else."

"That Naruto kid?"

"Y-yea… _that Naruto kid_" Hinata giggled, "h-he's special to me… he's e-everything I've ever wanted to be. W-well spoken and c-confident. He's different from me. I'd l-like to be m-more like him."

Sasuke's dark eyes morphed into his blood red orbs and images of his best friend…, _former best friend?... aghh it doesn't matter_, entered his mind. A wave of anger washed over his body and he wished Naruto was there with him so he could wind his fist up and then release it into the fox boy's face.

"Hm… it's doesn't sound like love to me. It sounds more like an admiration… maybe you don't love him as much as you think" Juugo countered her response.

"I think you just w-want me to s-say that I love Sasuke" she giggled, "you're biased! Naruto is a great guy and I do believe that it's love."

Mentally, Sasuke cut down her statement so that all he replayed in his head was the '_I love Sasuke_' part.

"Juugo, if I didn't know better, I'd think you were playing matchmaker with me and Sasuke" Hinata joked.

"Well… if you say so but... just open your eyes a bit, your Byakugan could be missing a fine detail" Juugo dished the food he had been cooking and walked to the entrance of the kitchen, "I'm going to wash up a bit, I'll be back soon."

"Alright" Hinata replied cheerfully as she continued to stir the soup. _Missing a fine detail…_ she wondered.

Sasuke felt a hand gently pat his shoulder as Juugo walked by.

"She'll come around" Juugo whispered before turning the corner out of view.

"Hn" Sasuke did his best not to show the agitation he was experiencing. He was weak for getting so worked up.

* * *

Dinner was quiet unlike breakfast. Karin had refrained from insulting Hinata although she still glared daggers at the Hyuuga heiress. Hinata wasn't entirely sure why the redhead hated her so much, but shrugged it off.

Sasuke hadn't said a word to her since breakfast or met her eyes. It felt like he was shutting her out all over again and she hadn't even done anything wrong. If she recalled properly, everything went well until she asked him if he was planning on returning to Konoha with her and Juugo. She certainly did not remember ever mentioning anything that she felt deserved the silent treatment. She hadn't been all that persistent either; she wasn't going to force him to return. She might tell Naruto where he was but she never said that out loud.

And then there was Juugo and well Juugo was Juugo, nothing out of the ordinary. At this point, she only felt comfortable with him, which she found kind of odd because apparently he could go from docile to murderous in a split second. She also found it slightly odd that Juugo kept pushing the topic of Sasuke when they spoke but she pushed any thoughts of that aside in favor of reasoning that his persistence was due to the fact that he cared for Sasuke. What did she have to do with that? She figured Juugo wasn't very keen on Karin and probably approved herself for Sasuke… _yes, that seems logical_.

"Juugo, I'm done with the cure for you so I'll bring it by after dinner. Is that alright with you?" Karin asked in between mouthfuls of dinner.

"Of course!" Juugo replied happily.

"So he'll be cured tonight?" Hinata asked excitedly.

Karin narrowed her eyes at Hinata before speaking, "yea, if it works."

"My wound is healed enough for me to travel" she looked to Juugo with a bright smile, "c-can we go to Konoha tomorrow, I really miss everyone."

Juugo looked over to Sasuke and witnessed him glance at Hinata briefly before turning back to his meal. Was he seeing things or was there just the slightest glimpse of hurt in the Uchiha's usually impassive eyes?

"Sasuke?" Juugo looked over to search for any reaction.

"You're not tied to me… you're free to leave when you please" Sasuke's voice was icy, "I've had enough" he shoved his plate away and stood to exit the kitchen.

Hinata watched quizzically, her eyes blinking rapidly. Juugo sighed audibly and Karin cursed under her breath. _Did I miss something?_ She questioned herself.

* * *

"You always seem to beat me" Hinata dropped the cards down in defeat.

"You'll win one day. Besides, when we go to Konoha we can play as much as you like and you'll figure it out eventually"

"Erm… I guess you're right" she picked up her half of the cards and handed them to Juugo so he could reshuffle the deck, "when's she bringing the cure anyway?"

"Hopefully soon" Juugo shrugged while he shuffled the deck.

After they had completed dinner, Juugo and Hinata had retreated to her room for another round of cards. They were having a good time as usual but Hinata was exceptionally happy at the prospect of going home. She couldn't wait to introduce everyone to Juugo, she couldn't wait to see Kiba and Shino… and of course Naruto.

_Knock. Knock._

"Come in" Juugo said as he dealt out the cards.

"H-hi K-Karin" Hinata stuttered with a weak wave, "w-would you l-like to play c-cards with us?"

"Ha, I've got better things to do" Karin glared at Hinata before turning her attention to Juugo, "I've got your cure."

"Oh, great" he took the tiny square shape glass vial from her hand and eyed it, "just drink it?"

"Yea, just drink it" she answered with a smile.

Juugo raised a suspicious eyebrow at the redhead, "are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm absolutely certain"

"Alright…" Juugo shrugged and uncorked the bottle, then tipped it up to his mouth. He took it all in one gulp and winced at the nauseating taste.

"Great!" Karin exclaimed, "I should get going! Good seeing you Hanada!"

"It's Hinata" Hinata corrected her, an annoyed grimace dressing the Hyuuga's face.

"Yea, whatever. I have to go!" Karin said impatiently and hastily left the room, slamming the door forcibly behind her.

"How are you feeling?" Hinata turned her attention back to Juugo.

"Fine… it tasted disgusting though" he took a deep drink of his cup of tea.

"Shall we continue?" she asked cheerfully as she turned her attention back to the cards, but her body stiffened when…

"You… kill…"her eyes widened at the image before her. Juugo's eyes had turned black with yellow irises as black swirls slowly painted his skin.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" his voice rang through her fearful body. His large hand shot up and laced around her small neck. He lifted her body with the little effort of just his one hand and smashed her into the wall, which cracked around her.

"Ju… J-Juugo… p-please" she choked out, her nails digging into his arm in a failed attempt to pry his hand off.

Hinata activated her Byakugan and searched the surroundings in panic. On the other side of the door stood Karin, her hand firmly gripped on the door knob but she clearly was not going to come in. Down a few hallways she saw Sasuke running quickly towards the room. _He's coming…_

* * *

**A/N:** Agh... a couple days late but I got distracted. Hope it was good and let me know what you think by pushing that little button to the left to leave a review.


	18. Rampage

**A/N:** Oh, fudge... I wrote a super crazy long fight sequence...

Big Thanks to all those who reviewed! I'm glad you don't like Karin. **She-x,** thanks for such a sweet review! It really made my day, I even bragged to my sister at how sweet it was! Sorry to anyone who was bothered by me leaving it on a cliffy, I would have updated earlier but writer's block and laziness got me.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto!

**

* * *

****CHAPTER 18: Rampage**

After the somewhat awkward dinner and Karin's announcement of the completion of Juugo's cure, Sasuke relieved himself of the group of ninja and retreated to his room. Juugo being cured meant that Hinata would leave to return to Konoha… more specifically to Naruto. Juugo would leave as well, leaving Sasuke with Karin. Suddenly whipping those three cloud shinobi earlier didn't seem to suffice.

Deep in his chest, his heart pulsated rapidly, uncomfortably. The usually calm and stoic Uchiha didn't entirely know how to interpret the feelings or how to cope with them. The mere thought of Hinata leaving him _again_ stirred up unfamiliar feelings.

He envisioned the image of her standing over him, her nails digging into his chest, right over the spot of his heart. Once her hand had fully penetrated his skin, lungs, and ribs, it would reach his heart. She would squeeze it and then violently rip it out only to callously throw it to the ground then proceed to stomp on it. Then after all that, she'd walk away from him into the arms of Naruto. That image disgusted him.

Hinata was different from most girls, she was special… to him she was _the one_. Hearing her talk about Naruto the way she did was almost unbearable and then to further humiliate him, she gushed about Konoha and returning as soon as possible. Hyuuga Hinata, heiress to the Hyuuga clan was simply out of his reach.

He needed a plan, some well thought out strategy to win her back from the goof. Sasuke would think that he had the upper hand since they did have a history but then again he was the Uchiha traitor, he figured it balanced out and he was on even ground with the blonde doofus. If Naruto was still as oblivious as ever and head over heels for Sakura, then chances were that he had not noticed Hinata yet which was good. The best way of keeping Hinata and Naruto apart was to keep her here with him away from the fox boy or to return to Konoha with her and try to outdo the blonde somehow. The former was slightly more appealing but he knew Hinata would never leave her beloved village. Therefore, his only option was to return to Konoha with her and Juugo tomorrow.

Sasuke sighed then narrowed his eyes at the open scroll on his lap that he stopped reading in favour of thoughts of the indigo haired girl. Seconds later he felt a familiar chakra flare then a loud crash.

He threw the scroll off his lap and jumped off, running towards the door he grabbed his katana before exiting. If anything happened to _her_, he would go ballistic on whoever dared to harm her. He ran through the torch lit halls, enhancing his pace with bursts of chakra from his feet. Seconds later Hinata's door came into view as well as Karin whose hand tightly gripped the knob but instead of pushing it open she was holding it shut.

"Sasuke! I was wondering where you were" she walked up to him, releasing the door knob from her grasp. "Let's go do something!" she grabbed his hand before he was able to reach for the knob and attempted to drag him away.

"S-Sa…Sasu-ke" he heard the muffled sounds of his name stagger through the thick door.

"Let go!" he commanded and ripped his hand from Karin's, but she was persistent, jumping into his back and wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. He ignored her and trudged forward, throwing the door open to reveal a flushed Hinata being strangled by a murderous Juugo.

"Sas…Sas…ke" Hinata choked out breathily. Her eyes were now half lidded and her Byakugan was starting recede.

Sasuke tore Karin's arms off and charged forward without much thought, his thoughts were consumed with emotions and he felt his mind in shambles. He tossed his fist forward to land square on Juugo's cheek and the tall blonde let go of Hinata who fell to the floor, gasping. Juugo turned to eye Sasuke, emitting a murderous intent that could rival his own and Sasuke glared back with his Sharingan activated and tomoe rotating around his pupil.

"Calm down Juugo" he said authoritatively, but it didn't work. Juugo muttered a declaration of murder and stampeded forwards to the Uchiha. Sasuke dodged his punched and flung his leg up to kick Juugo in the ribs. Juugo fell to the ground but got back up and with a deep animalistic growl he stepped forward and threw his level two curse seal transformed arm which narrowly missed Sasuke but the second hit landed on Sasuke's shoulder, who then stumbled back a bit but easily regained his balance. Sasuke caught Juugo's fist in his hand and pulled him forward, closing the distance between them. Out of his sleeves came two large snakes. They intertwined around Juugo's large frame and tightened to immobilize him.

Sasuke looked deep into Juugo's dark eyes, his Sharingan going to work. But to Sasuke's surprised his usual tactic for calming Juugo down was not working, their gaze never broke but the hypnotism of his Sharingan had no effect. Sasuke's eyes widened as the rest of Juugo's body began to transform completely as opposed to just his arm. He briefly thought about activating his own curse seal but the horror he saw in Hinata's pale eyes as she witnessed the battle deterred him. The last thing he wanted was to scare her away. She didn't need to see the remnants of his time with Orochimaru.

As Juugo continued to transform, the snakes firmly wrapped around his body burst as the tension of his expanding body was too much to handle. Juugo watched malevolently when a look of worry flashed on the Uchiha's face. Both his arms came up in an instant and slammed into Sasuke's chest, sending the last Uchiha flying backwards through the wall that Hinata had been pinned to earlier, her trembling form huddled on the ground.

"Sasuke!" she shouted and sprinted through the giant hole, coming to Sasuke's side as he slowly got up into a sitting position.

"I'll kill you both!" Juugo's voice rumbled through the two now adjoining rooms. She got a glimpse of him hurtling towards her and Sasuke. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around him and threw her body over his to shield him. Their eyes met for a nanosecond before she felt his arms wrap around her and then her body shifted to land on the floor. He had reversed their positions and now he was the one shielding her.

Over his shoulder, she could still see Juugo approaching them. She recoiled in his arms and her eyes shut tightly to brace for the impending pain. She was pulled closer into his body when something large, smooth, and leathery wrapped around her back. She didn't protest it, if anything, it only made her feel the tiniest bit more secure not that she felt all that secure under the circumstances.

Seconds passed, then there was a thud and Juugo's heart wrenching screams resonated through the lair. He was on the floor on his knees, his hands glued to his head as he writhed and tried to fight the transformation. Hinata watched fearfully as his transformation slowly deteriorated and his human form began to emerge. Eventually the black swirls began to fade as well, leaving the tall blonde shaking on the floor.

She tore her eyes away from Juugo to look at Sasuke who had his face turned to the blonde man. Her eyes widened when she met someone she didn't recognize. He had grey skin and hair that was much longer and lighter in colour than Sasuke's. There was a black mark that ran across his nose from one cheek to the other and he had fangs. Then she followed the growths off his shoulder blades and saw that they appeared to be wings? And they were wrapped protectively around her.

His head turned to look at her and she saw those Sharingan eyes, "Sa-Sasuke?"

He didn't say anything to her. They merely watched each other for a moment before he let go of her and she could see his hair shortening, his grey skin paling, and his apparent wings shrink.

"Are you alright?" his voice was soothing to her ears. She couldn't find the simple 'yes' to answer so just nodded, "you know you're going to get killed one day if you keeping throwing yourself in front of people, first Naruto and then me."

She saw the small upturn of the corner of his lips and returned it with her own weak smile, "y-yea…"

Sasuke stood to his feet and walked over to Juugo who lay on the floor, tremors ripping through his body. With a gentle hand on Juugo's shoulder Sasuke asked what had happened. Everything was fine and Juugo was under complete control until a certain redhead came by and dropped off a supposed cure. When Sasuke met her in the hall she was acting quite suspicious and tried to prevent him from entering. _What were her motives?_

Three pairs of eyes landed on the redhead in question who stood tentatively at the large hole. When she saw Sasuke's dark glare she turned to run for what she believe would be her life. She was stopped a foot away from the only exit, a long blade held against her neck and Sasuke's free hand on her shoulder holding her firmly in place.

"Where is the real cure, Karin?" Sasuke's mouth drifted over her ear, his voice was laced with malevolence. When she didn't respond, he tightened the blade against her throat while whispering in her ear, "tell me or I'll kill you."

"Why do you care about that stupid little wench anyway?" she fidgeted under his grip, tiptoeing around his question.

"Is that why you did it?" he breathed down her neck, "you sabotaged Juugo's cure because you were jealous?"

"Someone had to do it" she spat, "if you weren't going to do it then eventually Juugo would."

"You have no right to speak about her life so carelessly!" this may have been the first time the two Hebi members have witness Sasuke raise his voice, "I'll kill you!"

Sasuke pushed his katana to one side of her neck, preparing to rip it across to effectively slit her throat.

"Don't Sasuke!" Hinata's normally quiet voice rang through the room and then there she was, her arms wrapped around his to stop him, "don't… don't… please don't kill her…" she sobbed into his sleeve.

"She tried to get Juugo to kill you" he reasoned with her.

"I know… but just please don't kill her" she pleaded.

He ignored her request and turned back to the redhead, "where is the real cure?"

When she didn't respond Sasuke increased the pressure of the blade against her neck and this time it drew blood. Hinata gasped and Karin panicked.

"It's… it's in my pocket" she said hastily, fearing for her own life.

Sasuke didn't move but motioned for Hinata to search for the cure. She complied and wiped the tears from her eyes before walking around to Karin's front and gently sliding her hand into the women's pockets. She pulled out three corked vials containing a milky pink substance.

Once Hinata had searched all her pockets and had the three vials firmly grasped in her hands, Sasuke brought the blade down from Karin's neck and slammed her into the wall. His Sharingan boring into her eyes, the three tomoe of each eye spinning rapidly and hypnotically.

"Is that the real cure?" his voice was cold and detached.

The redhead nodded frantically, her eyes still locked on his.

"Tell me if that's the real cure"

"Yes, it is the real cure" she responded in manner that sounded just as detached as Sasuke's and so unlike her.

There was a grunt then she dropped to the floor. Sasuke walked over to Hinata and held his hand out for the three vials. It took Hinata a bit to break from her daze and when she did, she noted that Sasuke looked somewhat annoyed, so she hastily handed the vials to him. He walked over and kneeled down beside Juugo who was still on the floor. One of the tubes was uncorked and then brought near Juugo's mouth, and with his hand, Sasuke tilted Juugo's head up.

"Drink it" Sasuke's voice was calm again and Hinata felt relief wash over her petite body.

"You're sure?" Juugo asked uncertainly.

"Yea, I'm sure"

Juugo nodded and took the cool liquid into his mouth as Sasuke inclined it upwards. Silence took over the room for several moments as Juugo attempted to get to his feet.

A feminine growl and then Hinata was suddenly tackled to the floor, to everyone's surprised. But before she hit the floor she managed to twist her body around to land on her back. She hissed when the impact hit the bruises she had developed from Juugo's rampage. Karin fell down after her and got up to straddle the Hyuuga heiress's thighs, throwing punches. Before Sasuke could come to Hinata's rescue she had already activated her Byakugan and closed a few of the redhead's chakra points and with the last blow she sent Karin flying back, skidding on the floor.

Hinata stood up on her feet and got into her gentle fist stance, preparing for anymore attacks Orochimaru's former minion would come back with. Her Byakugan told her that Karin was indeed in the field of the Hyuuga's eight trigram sixty-four palms. Just as Karin got up to charge at Hinata, the Hyuuga heiress started the chain of strikes that would close all of the redhead's chakra points. The strikes were solid, swift, and precise. Moments later Hinata threw her final blow and Karin fell to the floor, barely capable of moving anymore. Hinata had no intention of killing her but she wouldn't deny that she was a little miffed that Karin had tried to have her killed off.

Hinata let out an exhausted sigh, her body felt like it was going to give out on her any moment. She turned around to look at Sasuke and Juugo, and for once Sasuke's face didn't just exude indifference. He seemed to be gawking quite openly, but so was Juugo. At their faces she felt pleased with herself; she had never used that technique before, since Neji had only recently taught it to her. It was her first time attempting it in a real battle and she had been successful.

Hinata had always been appealing to Sasuke, but now she was even more appealing. When she was attacked by Karin, he had every intention of coming to her aid but to his delight, Hinata was able to take care of the redhead with unmatched grace and finesse. She was definitely something special and something inside him welled up at the image of a strong and independent Hinata. He wanted to claim her for himself. He wanted to be to sole object of her affections. He needed to know if that was even possible after his betrayal to her beloved Konoha.

A small smile broke over her face when her eyes met those of her male counterparts. "I… I'm n-not… f-feeling…" the men watched as her pale eyes rolled back and her eyelids closed down. One of her hands was brought up to caress her head. Her mouth opened and closed a few times but no sound was made and then she collapsed. Her limp form carelessly fallen to the floor.

"Hinata…" two male voices echoed her name while the sound of feet shuffling neared her.

* * *

The streets of Konoha were desolate in the early mornings aside from a few ninja making their way back from missions and the few preparing to leave. Seated on the bench beside the guard post was a very impatient Hyuuga. His right leg twitched in anticipation.

The evening before, Neji was summoned to the Hokage tower. He was informed that Hinata did not take the innkeeper up on her offer and therefore he was to form his team and depart at daybreak in search of his cousin.

In regards to his team, it was an obvious choice for him. Kiba had pleaded to go, as well as Shino, though the bug host didn't actually 'plead'… he insisted in his quiet sort of way. Naruto and Sakura had also been adamant on joining the search efforts, but in the end there was no one Neji trusted more than his teammates: Lee and TenTen.

It was well known that of the rookie nine, team eight was respected for their tracking abilities, but Neji was a proud and confident Hyuuga who felt that if he took anyone besides the ninja he trusted most, then the mission would be compromised. It would also be further compromised with the addition of Hinata's teammates, especially Kiba who would likely act rash and cause more harm than good.

He was now impatiently waiting for his teammates to show up. He thought he made it clear that they were not to be late but now the first cracks of the sun's rays were peaking in the horizon and the taijutsu master and weapons master were nowhere in sight. Neji sighed loudly and leaned back in his seat.

"Hey, you're not falling asleep already are you?" a female voice called out to him from the distance.

"You're late" Neji groaned at the vision of his teammates.

"That was not my intention! Please accept my deepest apologies!" Lee bowed down repetitively to the Hyuuga prodigy.

"Whatever, let's just get going" Neji stood to his feet and walked toward the open gates, "we will take the same route Hinata did. If we keep our pace up we should be able to reach the village in Rice Field country by nightfall. If we see anything suspicious along the way then we will stop to investigate otherwise we will rest when we arrive and investigate the village and villagers the next morning."

"Got it" TenTen voiced determinedly, coming into step beside him.

"Understood! I will not let your precious Hinata's springtime of youth fade! We will save her!" Lee declared loudly in his nice guy pose, thumbs up and a sparkle in his grin.

Team Guy nodded to each other then disappeared into the trees, vague glimpse of white, red, and green could be caught by the average eye.

* * *

**A/N:** I think my fight scenes are getting better... maybe?

Well, I hoped you enjoyed! Thanks for reading, see you next time! Please review!


	19. Something’s Got to Give

**A/N:** Sasuhina fluff? Coming right up!

Thanks to everyone that reviewed! **The Ninja Lord**, you changed you name! I thought maybe you disappeared, but I'm glad you're still reading! Thanks for the sweet review!

Next up, someone asked about something citrus. I'll say this straight up, there will be no lemons, limes, or naval oranges. Why? because I suck at that sorta stuff and the fic is rated T and I gave no warnings that the rating may change so I won't change it. But maybe there'll be a bit of a kumquat later on? Whatever that means. Hmm... kumquats are citrus...

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto.

**

* * *

****CHAPTER 19: Something's Got to Give**

Neji sighed and resisted the urge to roll his eyes as Lee slurped his noodles. The three Konoha ninja had arrived at the village just after nightfall and had first paid a visit to the ramen stand owner, who was the last to see the Hyuuga heiress. After their questioning, which amounted to nothing they hadn't already known, Jo offered them ramen. Neji had detected the guilt in his voice but remained unaffected. To an extent, Neji blamed this man as well as Tsunade for his dear cousin's disappearance.

"We shall rest, for tomorrow will be a busy day" Lee took his last slurp of noodles while addressing his teammates, "you have our greatest gratitude for the delicious ramen!"

"Yes, thank you for the meal Jo" TenTen's voice hinted at her exhaustion from the long journey. She stood up from her stool as Neji and Lee did the same. Neji paid the man one last glance of gratitude before walking off with his teammates to the hotel they would spend the night at.

The trio slept easy that night, or well, as easy as they could under the circumstances. The long journey had finally caught up with them and instantly, when their heads hit the pillows, they were out. They all knew it was best to get as much rest as possible if the mission was to be successful. And they also needed to be on guard tomorrow, especially considering a chakra presence they had felt somewhere in the same hotel they stayed at.

They sensed that the chakra presence was settling for the night just as they were, so didn't pay it much attention. It could easily be a team from another village on a mission, but then again, instinct told the Hyuuga prodigy not to overlook them.

The night went by quickly and they were up by dawn and prepared to start their investigations. While Lee and TenTen readied to leave, Neji went out first on his own. He searched for the traces of chakra he sensed the previous night. When he found it, he masked his own chakra and neared the room. Using his Byakugan, he saw that there were three ninja still asleep, if they had forehead protectors as an indication of their loyalties, it had been discarded and Neji couldn't identify them. Noting that none of the forms resembled Hinata, he swiftly made his return to his teammates.

They exited the hotel together, resolved to pay a visit to the innkeeper who had offered lodging to the Hyuuga heiress. Unfortunately, after meeting with her and searching the hotel for traces of the Hinata, they left empty handed. Their options were limited now; there were no leads to follow. Only one option remained and that was to search the entire village until they found a lead.

Neji assigned his teammates to areas of the village to investigate, and then they went their separate ways, agreeing to meet later at the hotel.

* * *

When Hinata collapsed, it was like the world stopped; both worlds. Sasuke's world, which knew only revenge, anger, and murder, and then Juugo's world, which knew only fear, wild instincts, and isolation. Both their worlds deeply affected by the lone indigo haired kunoichi passed out on the floor.

"Hinata?" Sasuke knelt down beside her unconscious body and pulled her into his lap. She didn't respond.

"Sasuke" Juugo called for his attention and received a grunt in return, "she's bleeding."

Sasuke shifted her closer to his chest, his arms holding her bridal style. The bottom of the sweater was soaked in blood.

"I'll take her to a bed" Sasuke informed Juugo as he stood to his feet, holding Hinata protectively in his arms.

"Alright…" Juugo sighed, "I guess I'll take Karin to bed, do you want me to come help you?"

"No, I'll be fine" Sasuke shook his head as he walked Hinata out of the room and down the hall, careful not to agitate her.

He took her to the room next to the one he had been staying in and laid her down on the bed tenderly. He removed her typical oversized sweater and rolled her over the lay on her stomach, taking every precaution to assure she would be comfortable while he worked on her wound.

Sasuke lifted the hem of her shirt up to reveal the wound that had up until now healed nicely, but due to the rough treatment she had encountered, it had opened itself up again. He left the room briefly and returned with the necessary items to clean and close it for a second time. When all the blood was wiped away, he observed the opening and was relieved that it had healed enough to not be reopened at its former glory.

He easily stitched and bandaged it. While he did so, he was reminded of that time when he had stitched her leg, the time when their supposedly forbidden friendship was discovered. Considering the events that transpired between him and Konoha, he figured he couldn't blame her father, maybe the Hyuuga head was even right all along… but then again when did Sasuke ever care what the man thought of him?

After cleaning the surrounding area, he contemplated removing her blood soaked shirt but in the end decided against it. She would probably not appreciate it all that much, so he pulled her shirt down and pulled the covers over her petite body, leaving her to remain lying on her stomach. Affectionately, he removed a few strands of hair from her face and admired the peaceful expression she held in her sleep.

He blew out the few candles that illuminated the room and then took a seat on the floor, at the head of the bed. He placed his arm on the bed beside her pillow and rested his head on his forearm. Just before he gave into the sweet temptations of sleep, she shifted enough to draw his attention away from the enticing slumber, onyx met lavender.

"Sleep Hinata" he said soothingly.

"Hm" she nodded and a gentle smile graced her supple lips.

She fell asleep quickly after shutting her eyes. Her hand that had previously been at her side was pulled up and sat beside his. He eyed it for awhile, his chin resting on his forearm. Her hand looked just as delicate and fragile as she did. He took it in his and intertwined their fingers, still observing, he noticed how soft it was for someone who lived the ninja lifestyle. _Probably because of the gentle fist technique_, he reasoned. He rubbed his calloused thumb over her pinky finger, keeping his gaze on their joined hands, he knelt his head back down and let sleep wash over his tired body.

* * *

The door swung open slow and steadily with a slight squeak of the hinges. Flickers of the hallway candles danced over the two sleeping figures and blanketed half the room in a warm glow. A gentle smile etched its way onto Juugo's soft but handsome countenance. The tall blonde man stood in admiration of the young pair. The welling of guilt residing in the pit of his stomach melted away in the tiniest bit knowing that if it wasn't for his rampage, then the sight before him would not have happened.

He had come so close to killing Sasuke, the young man who had taken him out of his isolation and at the same time kept him from taking any more lives. And then he had nearly killed the young Hyuuga heiress, the sweet and precious Hinata. Besides Sasuke, she was the one other person who allowed Juugo into her world, even offering a new start at life. She would be the one to take him to Konoha and speak on his behalf, given that the supposed cure worked.

_They're good for each other_, Juugo thought peacefully before turning to walk away while leaving the door open behind him so they would eventually wake up.

His receding footsteps were caught by both Leaf shinobi who shifted in their sleep. During their sleep, Hinata had moved closer to the subtle warmth of Sasuke. Her head had fallen off the pillow and now her forehead was tenderly rested on the top of his head. Their hands remained joined.

Hinata's eyes fluttered open, first seeing only an orange glow before focusing on the dark form beside her. Dark raven hair tickled her face and a large calloused hand clasped to her small one. He stirred just as she did but still didn't seem to wake.

Hinata smiled softly upon realizing the position they were in, she couldn't really make out his face but she pictured he would look peaceful. Turning over gently to land on her side, she repositioned herself, making sure not to separate their hands. Her other hand was tentatively brought up to his head, to his duck butt of a head of hair.

Her fingers brushed the surface nervously but retracted immediately upon making contact, like she had touched a scorching hot piece of coal. She took note of his stillness and steady rhythmic breaths and concluded that her touch hadn't woken him. The Hyuuga heiress took in a deep breath and reached her hand out again.

Currently, her worse fear was getting caught, but something compelled her to do the unthinkable; she wanted to touch those tendrils of raven black hair. Releasing the breath she had pulled in earlier, she forced her hand to the warmth of his scalp. She played with a strand between two fingers before releasing it and running all her fingers through his surprisingly soft hair. Hinata continued the repetitive stroking motion, thoroughly enjoying the experience of running her hand through Uchiha Sasuke's hair, but she was snapped out of her trance when his head moved and there was a very audible grunt.

"Eep!" she squeaked, reclaiming one hand and ripping the other from his. She backed away much like that morning she found him in bed with her, except that today he had the decency to not crawl in beside her.

His head was propped up to rest on his forearm and from the limited light invading the room he appeared to be wearing a half scowl half smirk.

"Um… s-sorry… sorry" she apologized profusely, "w-what h-happened?" her thoughts finally wondering how they had ended up the way they did.

He rubbed his sleepy eyes, "you passed out after Karin attacked you, your wound reopened itself" his voice remained indifferent.

She paused to recall her memories of the previous night… memories of Juugo's rampage, Sasuke's heroism, and Karin's apparent insanity. She nodded to no one in particular as the memories grew more vivid. Sasuke took that as her nodding to him in understanding.

"How are you feeling?" he stood to his feet and reached for the matches to light the candles.

"A little sore" she reached back to feel her wound, "how bad is it?... can I travel?"

Sasuke grunted an incoherent response, _after what happened last night, she still only thinks about going back to Konoha… leaving me again…_

"What d-did you say?" she questioned.

"It's up to Juugo if he escorts you back, even without the transformation he should still be able to defend you" he informed bitterly.

"So I can return home today?" she asked hopefully.

"Ask Juugo" he replied minimally and walked out of the room, leaving her alone.

Sasuke walked down the halls toward the kitchen. Once he entered, he spotted the aforementioned Juugo preparing breakfast. On the small table were a few cups placed around a teapot. Sasuke greeted the man with a curt nod before sitting down with a sigh. He poured himself a cup and took the first sips and relished in the warmth that engulfed his body.

"So I take it you had a good night?" Juugo started.

Sasuke raised a brow, "what do you mean by that?"

"You're the genius, you know what I mean" he replied with a bright grin that made Sasuke's mood grow even darker.

"The night was fine, the morning was not" he scoffed and took another sip.

"Enlighten me"

"She wants to know if she can travel home" Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the blonde, "if _you_ can escort her today."

Juugo let out a light chuckle and turned from the counter to face Sasuke, "she's homesick… from what Karin told me, it takes a night for the cure to take full effect. If it worked then I technically will be able to escort her back, but what do you want?"

"Hn" Sasuke said. _Juugo's the wise and insightful type, he knows what I want…_ Sasuke grimaced at his blonde companion.

"If you want me to hold off on leaving then that's an easy task" he replied.

"I don't need you to do me any favours or act on my behalf" Sasuke retorted icily.

"Then I take it that _you'll_ act in some way" Juugo smirked and turned back to the breakfast he had started preparing, "it'd be nice to have you join us."

"Hn"

* * *

"He always seems mad at me" Hinata muttered under her breath and an unfamiliar Hinata scowl dressed her delicate features.

She tentatively crawled out of bed and stood to her feet. Stretching out her limbs, she assessed the damage from the previous night; a reopened wound, various bruises adorning her back, a few scrapes here and there, and half depleted chakra levels. But other than those notable features, she didn't feel all that bad. Given that she had a capable companion, travelling home wouldn't be a dangerous proposition. She smiled at the thought of home.

Hinata inched out of the bedroom to search for Juugo; she wanted to ask when he wanted to leave. Once she stepped out she was able to hear two male voices muffled through walls. This bedroom was significantly closer to the kitchen than her previous room. With a mild smile, she gracefully moved towards the voices.

The pair of male voices ceased when she was a few strides away from the doorway. Curiously, she wondered if they had felt her presence.

"G-good morning" she stammered as her feet took small steps towards the small dining table.

"Good morning Hinata, how are you feeling?" Juugo greeted her in his usual friendly manner.

"I'm good for the most part, a little sore" she replied timidly, aware of the Uchiha's glare.

"Sasuke informs me that you want to head home today?"

"Hm" she nodded, "if you want to."

Juugo glanced at the Uchiha survivor whose gaze was locked intensely on the Hyuuga heiress, who in turn seemed to be fully aware and cowering.

"I'm not entirely sure if the cure has worked yet" Juugo stated.

"H-how will you know?" Hinata shifted nervously under Sasuke's menacing glare, _he's really mad at me…_

"I guess I wouldn't… my outbursts kind of come and go" he paused thoughtfully, "you could try and anger me."

"A-anger y-you?" she stuttered. Hyuuga Hinata avoided conflict as best she could and certainly did not purposely 'anger' people.

"I'll do it" Sasuke's seething voice sounded through the room as the chair he was seated on scraped against the floor.

Juugo watched in bewilderment as Sasuke's long and forceful strides brought him closer. Their eyes met briefly followed by curt nods of acknowledgement and understanding. Hinata watched the odd exchange attentively until a tinge of horror washed over her petite form; Sasuke's clenched fist came barrelling forward and connected square into Juugo's jaw. There was a Hinata like scream, a gasp, and then an unceremonious crash.

The two leaf ninja watched the heap on the floor swiftly stand to his feet. Juugo narrowed his eyes at the Uchiha and rubbed his sore jaw.

"That's going to bruise"

"Hn"

"Again" Juugo commanded.

"You're sure?" Sasuke asked with a smug smirk and earning a nod in response.

Hinata hurriedly covered her lavender eyes with her hands as Sasuke wound his fist back to launch another uncontained punch. Not even a second later she heard a smack, a gasp, a grunt, and another crash. Her hands warily peeled off her eyes to meet the scene of Juugo pulling himself up and Sasuke clenching and unclenching his likely very sore hand.

"Again?" Sasuke inquired mischievously.

"Nah, I think two is enough" he stood and rubbed both sides of his face.

"Well, you can never be too sure" Sasuke added.

"I think you're enjoying this" Juugo responded with a deep chuckle.

"Maybe a little more than I should" the Uchiha shrugged but then cocked his head at the blonde with a raised brow, "they say third time's a charm."

Juugo chuckled but then motioned for Sasuke to go again. Hinata's eyes widened at the events transpiring in the little kitchen.

"Sasuke, Juugo!" she scolded just as Sasuke prepared to go again.

Both men looked at her with amused expressions but got out of their stance for her sake. Sasuke got back into his seat without another word and Juugo resumed preparing breakfast like the entire ordeal didn't even happen. Hinata sighed in her seat but successfully resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"Looks like you're cured Juugo" Sasuke stated monotonously.

"Seems to be the case" Juugo replied with a genuine smile.

"So we can go to Konoha?" Hinata asked excitedly.

"Sure" Juugo smiled at the ecstatic Hyuuga but ignored the brooding Uchiha.

The three ate breakfast in a peaceful silence. Hinata occasionally expressing her excitement, would asked Juugo when he would be ready to go which he responded by saying once he finished packing. In her anticipation she'd ask him how long that would take.

It was blatantly obvious that Hyuuga Hinata wanted to leave as soon as humanly possible. Sasuke, being an Uchiha, had very little experience in expressing any emotions other than anger, gritted his teeth and clenched his hands. He cursed himself for being undesirable in her beautiful lavender eyes. Something needed to give and he knew that.

* * *

**A/N:** Hope it was good. Personally, I don't really like it, but that's just me criticizing my own stuff. Next chapter is the second last one of the second arc and we find out exactly who, if anyone heads back to Konoha because something's got to give.

Thanks for reading! Have a nice weekend and please review!


	20. Farewell My Friend

**A/N:** First off, an Sasuke OOCness warning. Second off, I'm prepared for the many verbal lashings that will be bestowed in the form of reviews, PM's, and such... there'll be **an important author's note at the end**. Please read.

Thank you to all the wonderful reviewers!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**CHAPTER 20: Farewell My Friend**

The village where Hinata was last seen was in a rebuilding phase. Even to the untrained eye, it was easy to see the constant political chaos that once reigned. That fact, in addition to being leaf ninja, didn't make the investigative task any easier.

Most people shied away from outsiders, even to someone as easy going as TenTen. Neji figured that his abnormally pale eyes would cause wariness and Lee's… well Lee is Lee and even that would deter people from talking. The entire day was almost an entire waste; they had spoken to practically every available villager and visited every public establishment, and still no Hinata. But there was a consensus among the three Konoha shinobi, and that consensus was, the presence of other potentially suspicious ninja.

Many villagers had mentioned three other ninja who had arrived only a couple days after the Hyuuga heiress vanished. They had also said that those three ninja left not long after but only to return badly injured. Above all else, the most interesting piece of information… they were cloud shinobi. For Neji and practically the entire Hyuuga clan, the hidden village of Kumo were a group of citizens and shinobi not worthy of respect.

At a time, he had blamed the death of his father on the main branch and effectively detested every one of its members, including Hinata. Once the truth came out, it was similar to a veil being lifted from his all-seeing eyes. That truth… Kumo was solely responsible for the loss of his beloved father. In their fury of greed and insanity, they lost sight of the dangers of going after someone that possessed the Byakugan. They lost one of their own in an attempt to kidnap the young Hyuuga heiress and in turn Neji lost his father.

In a sense, it felt like the entire incident was replaying itself before his eyes except this time they may have really gotten Hinata. It was a real possibility. The circumstances seemed too coincidental to be actually believable. They must have found out she was on a solo mission, then they attacked her, then they were injured, and then they hid out in the hotel room. And when Neji went to investigate them, there was no sign of Hinata. To Neji, this could be summed up as good news.

This all meant that the incompetent cloud shinobi underestimated his little cousin's abilities and when they attacked her she must have fought back. She was able to fend all three off until they retreated. Hinata was fine and somewhere out there waiting to be found. _Yes, that's how it is._

Neji, TenTen, and Lee met up in their room at the start of the afternoon, the sun sitting high above in the sky. They compiled the newfound information and came to the conclusion that their best bet resided two floors up and a few doors down. An interrogation was in order, made ever so slightly more intimidating with Neji's Byakugan, TenTen's spectacularly frightening weapons, and Lee's alarming eyebrows. Really, how many people would not cower under _those_ eyes and _those_ fuzzy eyebrows?!

They were now standing outside the cloud shinobis' room and making no attempt to stay hidden. It was time to get mission 'interrogate the incompetent cloud ninja' underway. Neji's Byakugan indicated that even with unmasked chakra the cloud ninja still had not sensed them… _truly incompetent fools_.

With brief glances to one another, Neji gave the go ahead nod. There were simultaneous flares of chakra followed by a flash of green and splinters from the shattered door.

Three Kumo shinobi were met by three Konoha shinobi, their gazes stern and not betraying of their true emotions. The cloud ninja got into their battles stance though it was obvious that, even that, wavered. They were damaged more than they were letting on, nearly depleted chakra levels and various wounds and broken bones.

Then it hit him… there was no way Hyuuga Hinata could have done that much damage.

"Where are you hiding her?" TenTen inquired while shuriken sat idly on her fingers ready to be flung.

"Who the hell are you guys?" one of the cloud ninja spat back, one hand pointed in an attempt to be threatening while the other held his broken ribs and bruised torso.

"I am the green beast of Konoha!" Lee butted in with an out-of-place pose, "and my teammates and I are in search of Lady Hyuuga Hinata! We would appreciate it if you would inform us of her whereabouts."

"Lee" Neji said disapprovingly.

"Right! Fearless leader please continue the interrogation!"

Neji sighed and TenTen rolled her eyes.

"We don't know what you're talking about" another one snapped, he had what appeared to be a gaping wound through his abdomen although it had been bandaged.

"Did you attack Hyuuga Hinata?" Neji asked harshly, his face holding a rigid scowl.

"What are you talking about?!" the last one cried out angrily, "we didn't attack any Hyuuga prissy… it's quite contrary because you, Hyuuga, are the one that broke into our room."

"If it wasn't Hinata, then who beat you up so bad?" the Hyuuga prodigy seethed.

"What's it to you?" the cloud shinobi with the broken ribs smirked, "we didn't touch your precious little princess so why don't you just leave."

"Patience is not one of my virtues" Neji stepped forward, "tell me who attacked you, why they attacked you, and everything pertaining to the Hyuuga heiress."

"I've heard about you Hyuugas and your twisted customs, aren't you a branch member?" he retained his smirk but added a raised brow, "you're just some useless branch member who's destined to serve the main branch only to die as a mere servant, never to be remembered again, no legacy will be left behind." He paused to observe the angered expression intensify on Neji's face; he was hitting all the right buttons. "It baffles me that you even care. Is the little princess your betrothed or something? Because last I checked that fell under incest."

Neji flew across the room with one full chakra enhanced leap. The cloud shinobi slammed against the wall, hard enough the shake the building's foundations, held up by a strong Hyuuga hand wrapped around his neck. Neji's grip tightened and the cloud ninja's face grew a bright red, his breaths short and laboured. The other cloud ninja moved to defend their teammate but were stopped by Lee and TenTen who stood on either side of Neji.

"You will not defile the Hyuuga name or the Hyuuga heiress with your moronic assumptions. If another despicable word slips from your lips then I promise that you will die here" Neji glared deep into the man's fearful eyes. He pulled the man off the wall slightly and slammed him in again, "now answer my questions."

The cloud shinobi didn't falter; he stood his ground, figuratively of course, because Neji was actually holding him above the floor where his feet dangled idly. The man grimaced and did his best to fight the Hyuuga prodigy's death grip. Then unexpectedly, the man spat in Neji's face.

Neji closed his eyes and a warning smirk adorned his features, with his free hand he wiped the spit away. Once the vile spit was wiped away he opened his eyes to meet those of the cloud shinobi, he tilted his head slightly and grinned maliciously. _This is for my father… this is for my cousin… this is for my clan… my family…__for me!_

With his free hand, Neji shot it straight into the man's chest right over the area where the heart dwelled. The chakra spewing from his hand was not enough to kill but just enough to cause excruciating pain.

The man screamed out, a blood-curdling scream to be exact. Neji let his grip go and the man fell to the floor in a gasping mound. The Hyuuga crouched down to speak to the man but not before catching the horrified glances of the others. TenTen smiled mischievously and Lee gave Neji a thumbs up.

"Now if you don't wish to die today then you will tell me who attacked you, why they did, and of course, any and all information pertaining to my cousin, Hyuuga Hinata" Neji lifted the man up by his collar and shot him a malice glare.

He felt the cloud shinobi quiver and then he broke, "w-we were a-attacked by the… U-Uchiha."

"Uchiha?" Lee asked quizzically, "do you speak of Uchiha Sasuke?"

"He's the only Uchiha left Lee" TenTen said as if it were common knowledge, "it can only be Sasuke."

"Oh, right you are TenTen" Lee chuckled.

"Why would Uchiha Sasuke attack you?" Neji continued his interrogation.

"I d-don't know… w-we didn't d-do anything" he stuttered defensively, "we were just t-traveling."

"Traveling where?"

"A couple of our other ninja went missing on a mission at the north trail into the village and we were searching for them when he attacked us" another of the cloud shinobi answered, "now seeing as we've told you all that is relevant to you, why don't you let him go now."

"Not quite" Neji turned his head to eye the other man, "where is my cousin, Hyuuga Hinata?"

"We never encountered her on our journey" he said with finality, "now leave."

Neji observed the man's indifferent expression, "fine" he dropped the cloud shinobi in his hand, "one final warning… if we ever cross paths again then you will surely be the one to die and I can assure that you will be remembered and you will leave a legacy… you will be the man that died by Hyuuga hands" Neji smirked at the now wide eyed man, "would that not be an honourable death?"

"When did Neji get so scary?" Lee whispered to TenTen who shrugged. Neji turned to glare at his teammates who stiffened… apparently he had heard that comment.

* * *

_Something has to give…_ Sasuke pondered his thoughts as he sat in a relaxed manner on the limb of a tall tree overlooking the luscious forest.

* * *

Hinata was beyond ecstatic. Home was near, well not really since they had yet to leave but once Juugo finished packing then they would be on their way. Hinata herself had nothing to pack because her pack had been discarded when she was attacked by the cloud ninja. For the last week or so, she had been living off clothes Sasuke had given to her and she didn't have any reason to bring them along so she was now seated in Juugo's room waiting impatiently as he pondered what to bring.

After breakfast the three had separated. Hinata had gone to get cleaned up; when the wound reopened itself she was back to the 'no showers' rule so settled on a thorough wipe down. Juugo had gone off to check on Karin who refused to leave her room after the events that had transpired. Then there was Sasuke, Hinata never actually knew where Sasuke ran off to but she was too happy to care.

She was thankful that he had taken the liberty of caring for her the night before and she was also extremely grateful that he had saved her. There was a goal she wanted to accomplish before she left and that goal was to thank him and try to convince him to return with them. _Naruto would be so happy_, she thought innocently.

It was mid-afternoon and she still hadn't seen Sasuke return yet, but figured he would be back to see them off. The usually timid Hinata had been so excited that she had spent most of her time with Juugo, telling him about how wonderful Konoha was and that he would love it there as much as she did, mentioning that the village was littered with vast training grounds that would suit any shinobi's needs. She wasn't all that surprised when Juugo stated he had no interest in being a ninja and only wished to live out his days as a simple civilian. She understood that, especially after all he had been through.

"I think that's it" Juugo said with a tired sigh, heaving his duffle bag onto a chair.

"You're done packing?!" Hinata's voice was laced with pure joy. She was so cute that Juugo couldn't help but smile.

"We should probably wait for Sasuke to return before we leave" Juugo sat down on the edge of his bed, releasing another tired sigh.

"Hm" she nodded with a non-toothy smile, "I agree… I'd like to talk to him first."

"Really? About what?" Juugo's mood brightened slightly.

"Um… I want to…" she bowed her head down to hide the blush forming on her cheeks, "to t-thank him for e-everything and maybe… a-ask him t-to join us."

"Great idea Hinata" Juugo deep voice rumbled happily.

Sasuke always had great timing, because just as Juugo and Hinata completed their short conversation regarding him, his footsteps could be heard nearing the door. There was a soft knock in warning and then Sasuke appeared as the door swung open. He had on his usual face of indifference, but there was something almost unfamiliar but at the same time it seemed familiar. His onyx eyes had warmth that Hinata had not seen in what felt like ages.

"We're just about ready to leave." Juugo informed with a barely there smile, "time to say good bye."

"Hn" his response was typical and Juugo's smile grew a bit. Their eyes met and Juugo hadn't missed it, that smirk that said 'it's been good, I'll never admit it out loud, but I'll miss you.'

Sasuke may not say it out loud but Juugo certainly would… well sort of. The blonde stood to his feet and walked over to Sasuke, they stood across from each other in a comfortable silence that was eventually broken when Juugo said, "thank you Sasuke. I owe you a lot for giving me a life to live."

Sasuke nodded to acknowledge him and then gave an awkward pat on the blonde's shoulder. He wasn't surprised when Juugo pulled him into a hug that was just friendly, that's it… 'just friendly'. Sasuke would emphasize that if anyone questioned the matter.

"I hope you join us" Juugo whispered into the Uchiha's ear, making sure Hinata didn't catch it.

"Hn, we'll see" they pulled apart and Sasuke glanced over briefly at Hinata who stood patiently waiting for her turn.

"Well then I guess this is good bye my friend" Juugo smiled at the two teenagers, "I hope it's not for good."

"Hn" Sasuke smirked.

"I guess I never expected you to actually say good bye properly but I wouldn't have it any other way." Juugo laughed, "I will head out first and let you two talk, I'll be waiting out front." Hinata nodded in understanding.

Juugo took one last glance at the room he had called home and the young man he had called family. He heaved his duffle bag over his shoulder and made to leave the room, but before exiting, he gave Sasuke a pat on the shoulder and mouthed 'good luck,' seconds later he disappeared and shut the door behind him.

Suddenly the previously comfortable silence was anything but.

Before Hinata could step forward to close the large gap between them, Sasuke did. They were now only a few feet apart.

"S-Sasuke…" her breath caught in her throat as she uttered his name.

"Hn." Of course, what else would you expect Sasuke to say?

"Um…" Hinata had never imagined this would be so difficult, "I… w-want to t-thank you… uh… for s-saving me the f-first time… and t-the s-second time t-too."

He didn't say anything but just nodded for her to continue.

"I… uh… a-also wish to a-ask you t-to reconsider r-returning to… Konoha with us" she was blushing furiously now.

_Bingo_.

"Hinata…" he stepped closer to her, "I will return with you…"

"Really?" she smiled.

"But there are conditions" he stated and watched her previously happy face sadden, then turn curious.

"Con-conditions?" she blinked.

He nodded, "Hinata, you know who I am?"

She looked at him confusedly, investigating his stoic face for any hint as to where he was going with this.

"I'm the Uchiha survivor, the avenger, the traitor… I'm a missing nin" it was kind of funny, even he wasn't sure where he was going with this.

"I know th-that"

"You know that most of Konoha has probably given up on me and would prefer me dead".

She nodded hesitantly.

"I'm not all that fond of returning to a village that despises me" he explained.

"B-but you said…" she stopped to examine his eyes, they were the only features that would betray his emotions, she saw nothing decipherable "t-there are people w-who w-want you to r-return, people who s-still b-believe in you."

"I know" he nodded and took another step towards her. He was relieved when she didn't take a step back, "I want to know what _you_ want, if _you_ want me to return."

She blinked at his odd questioning, "of c-course I w-want you to return."

Sasuke smirked, _so far so good_, he thought. "Do you remember that promise you made me?"

She nodded timidly.

"Alright, keep that in mind when I ask you the next questions," he waited for her agreement, which came in the form of a nod. "Would you be able to accept me back into your life as everything that I am?"

She eyed him incredulously then opened her mouth to speak but was silenced when his finger met her lips. "Let me finish," he said and uncharacteristically took both her hands in his, provoking a deep blush from the Hyuuga heiress.

"Would you be able to accept me as the last Uchiha, the avenger, Konoha's traitor?" he paused for a moment, "_that_ is who I am."

Sasuke found it slightly amusing when her face contorted like the full extent of his words had just dawned on her. Oh but he wasn't done yet… there was still that colossal bomb that needed to be dropped.

"Will _you_ want to accept me for who I am without having to consult with someone else, without going to your father or your clan elders?"

She looked at him thoughtfully… _why did all of this matter?_

It was clear on her face that she didn't have an answer. He closed the remaining gap between them, their hands still joined, he leaned his forehead down to rest upon hers so that they could only see each other's eyes.

"Hinata, I want to know that _you_ want me to return… for yourself and _not_ anyone else." He let his dark eyes wander her light ones before continuing, "if _you_ wanted me to return then I would, because…"

Her pale eyes bared nothing to him, absolutely no hints of where her decision swayed, "because I… I wish for you to help me restore my clan."

The bomb dropped.

Hinata didn't move; she was stunned. Her mouth open and closed multiple times but no words escaped. She was speechless, but the incidence of that wasn't uncommon. Then she gasped when his head shifted off her forehead and he bent down to… kiss her?

_No… no… my first kiss is for Naruto_, she cried mentally and instinctually turned her face and his lips landed on her cheek.

He hadn't noticed it but he had tasted it. Tears. Her cheeks we stained with the salty liquid.

"S-Sasuke… I… I…" the tears grew heavier, "t-there's… Na…"

The first syllable was out and his body stiffened.

"Naruto" she sobbed, "I'm s-sorry…S-Sasuke, I'm s-so sorry…"

She turned her head up to meet his eyes, it was barely there but she had seen it. She had seen the flash of hurt.

His expression reverted back to its cold and stoic glory mere seconds later. He dropped both her hands and took a step back as if he needed a better view to observe what had just transpired, effectively erecting a barrier between the two. She tore her eyes from his and briskly walked to the door… this was their good bye.

"Wait," he interrupted her right when she landed her hand on the knob. "Did you keep the promise in mind when I asked you those questions?" He didn't look at her.

"Y-yes… I believe so" she answered the best she could through her sniffles, "I'm s-sorry."

"Good bye Hinata," he still didn't look at her, like he was talking into thin air. "Good luck with your life."

"Good bye S-Sasuke" she gripped the doorknob tighter than was necessary and threw it open forcibly. She took one last look at the last Uchiha before walking out and shutting the door firmly behind her.

_Was that the right choice?_

* * *

**Beta read by: lil.ramen.lover **who has been a wonderful beta for me on my other fic and now she'll be proofing this too! To show my gratitude, she gets a hot bowl of chicken ramen!

**A/N:** Okay, now for the important note. So I figure this chapter isn't going to be so well received, but I think I can accept that. I've been extremely insecure with the previous chapters as you can attest from some of the A/N's. I even mention in one that I feel like this fic is going downhill. There's bad news. No, I'm not going abandon this but I will be stepping back for awhile. I'm unhappy with where it goes after this and I'd rather stop updating so that I can rethink the plot. Essentially, it needs to be refined. I don't know when the next update will be, but I'm guessing I'll need 3-4 weeks... BUT I'll also be starting school in a week and I don't know how that will factor in. If it comes earlier then it means I've found my muse, if not then I ask for patience. I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing, because it'll be a better product in the end. I also plan to rewrite the first few dismal chapters. Umm... check my profile and LiveJournal for updates on my progress.

Alright, that's it. I apologize for the bad note and thank you for reading. Please review if you're not too angry or if you want to rip out my... ahem... if you want to voice your opinion.


	21. The Journey Home

Bwahahaha... I'm back! Yea, here's chapter 21. It's the last chapter of the second story arc, after this there's a timeskip and then the final story arc. Yep, that's it! ENJOY!

Oh, and since it's been soooo long. RECAP: last chappie, Sasuke confessed to Hinata, she turned him down, now Juugo and her are headed back to Konoha.

**Beta read by:** **lil.ramen.lover**! I serve up spicy seafood ramen!

* * *

**CHAPTER 21: The Journey Home**

"He said the north trail of the village," TenTen reminded her teammates as they walked through the village after their confrontation with the cloud shinobi.

"Alright then, let's go," Neji commanded as he sped up his pace. His teammates nodded and followed closely behind him.

They made their way up the small path that led out to the forest en route back to Konoha. The dirt path was relatively unruffled with little indication that a battle of sorts had taken place. Merely footsteps could be found on the path's dusty surface and there were too many of them to be distinguishable.

They kept a steady pace, while scanning their surroundings for any signs of the Hyuuga heiress, but came up with nothing peculiar.

"Neji, do you think there's a chance that cloud might not be involved in Hinata's disappearance?" TenTen fell into step beside him and observed his face for any reaction.

"No," he replied stoically, not even sparing his female teammate a glance. "Hinata would not just vanish like that… the fact that there were cloud ninja in the area is not a coincidence."

"I'm just saying that it doesn't exactly make sense that we're tracking cloud's trail even though we know that their ninja were disposed of easily by Sasuke," she paused pensively to find the best way to voice her thought, "and… we also know that Hinata isn't strong enough to do anything like that. It just doesn't make any sense unless we're tracking Sasuke…"

"We have no other leads to follow, this is the best and only one we have," Neji stated in an annoyed tone.

"I understand," TenTen said in defeat.

"Look at this," Lee's lively voice echoed to the pair. At some point during their short talk Lee had gone up ahead.

Neji and TenTen ran over the where the green spandex clad ninja stood. The dirt ground had recently been disturbed unlike the rest of the path. A few of the bushes lining the area had been deformed with broken branches and fallen leaves. There were a few dried blood stains. Neji suddenly regretted not adding Kiba to the team, he would have been able to identify if it was Hinata's and track it.

"Over here Neji," TenTen called from inside the forest.

Neji motioned for Lee to continue searching the area before he ran into the shrubbery of the forest to find TenTen. When he found her, she was crouched down on the ground. In one hand she held and charcoal coloured pack and her other hand brushed dead leaves off the Earth's surface to pick up a forehead protector.

"Cloud," she held up the forehead protector that garnered the cloud symbol.

"And the bag?" Neji crouched down across from her and pointed to the pack she held in her other hand.

"I haven't searched it," she handed it over to him.

Neji received the pack and immediately began searching through the contents. He pulled out various items that were clear indicators that the pack belonged to a shinobi. There were numerous scrolls, a few weapons, bandages, ointments, and… tea bags? He pulled out the small plastic bag filled with tea bags and gazed.

"Hinata…" TenTen said when she saw what he was holding up.

Neji nodded, "she loves drinking tea."

"Is there anything else?" she asked.

Neji nodded and continued emptying the bag of its remaining items. The more items he removed, the more it became apparent that the pack belonged to Hinata. There were some hair ties, lotions, and other feminine type items but what caught his attention was the light outer coat that held the Hyuuga emblem on the sleeve. He gripped a handful of it tightly in his fist and a new resolve materialized within him.

"We're on the right track." He packed the items away and stood to his feet, "we should hurry."

TenTen nodded and followed after him out of the forest to meet Lee on the path.

"What is it that you found?" Lee queried as his teammates came into sight.

Neji held up the bag blatantly for him to see, "it's Hinata's… did you find anything?"

"Yes." Lee nodded and grinned happily, "it seems that were two different battles that took place here."

"Two?" TenTen interrupted.

"Yes, there are multiple blood stains around the area. This one," he pointed to the one Neji had observed earlier, "is older than the ones over there." He pointed over to the other stains about fifteen feet away.

"So what does that mean?" TenTen asked with a puzzled expression.

"It means that the most recent battle was likely the one where the cloud shinobi encountered Sasuke, leaving the prior as our best bet for finding Hinata." Neji explained then turned to Lee, "have you found anything we can track."

"Yes, there are two trails that branch off that we can track. One is fainter than the other because it appears there was only one person and he or she moved quickly. The other one leads back to the village and we can presume that it belonged to the cloud ninja," Lee explained.

"Then we take the trail that leads away from the village," Neji slung Hinata's pack over his shoulder and motioned for Lee to lead the way.

* * *

Hinata shut the door behind her. Had the stoic Uchiha just asked her to bear his children? Had he tried to kiss her? Had she just turned down Konoha's heartthrob for the loud-mouthed blonde?

She sniffled and wiped away the tears that laced her flushed cheeks. Hinata took a few steps forward but stopped to give into temptation, she needed to know if all that had really happened. She activated her Byakugan and looked into the room for Sasuke. He still stood at the same spot and remained unmoving. His eyes staring into the plain clay walls and his hands clenched tightly. He appeared to be in deep thought.

Hinata sighed deeply and deactivated her bloodline limit. Their exchange had indeed occurred and their last farewell was anything but perfect. She wiped away the few more tears that leaked out the corners of her pale eyes before scurrying off to the entrance of the lair to meet Juugo.

Juugo was perched on a boulder outside the lair with a bird seated on his shoulder. He smiled brightly at the Hyuuga heiress when she exited but his smile was soon wiped away when he noted her tear-stained cheeks. She smiled weakly at him but continued to walk right past him in favour of walking ahead of him as a means of hiding her tears.

"Are you alright?" Juugo inquired.

"Y-yea," she stuttered through short sniffles.

"You're sure?"

"Y-yea," she nodded and pulled on another smile.

"Alright then," he fell into step beside her. He had contemplated asking about Sasuke but decided against it, figuring that things probably didn't go all too well.

The first bit of their walk was mostly silent, neither one daring to speak. It was almost like an unspoken agreement that nothing good could come if anyone broke the silence, but it wasn't like Juugo cared all that much so he spoke anyway. He had only known Hinata for about a week but he knew what she would willingly talk about even if she was a relatively quiet person.

"So what is the first thing you plan to do when you arrive?" he asked in hopes of cheering up her mood.

She blinked at his question which seemed to materialize out of the blue, "um… w-well I guess I would n-need to report to the Hokage first and th-then probably get you settled in somewhere."

"Aside from the business," he corrected his earlier question.

"Hm," she thought as she kept her steady pace. "I'd go home first to see my family."

"That sounds nice, you have siblings?"

Hinata nodded with a sheepish smile as she reminisced, "yes, I have a younger sister, Hanabi and an older cousin named Neji."

"And what about that Naruto kid?"

"N-Naruto?" Hinata stuttered nervously at the thought of seeing Naruto again.

"Yea, are you planning to visit him?"

"N-no…" her voice quietened, "I o-only see h-him when we r-run into each other."

"So you're not good friends?"

She shook her head, "he a-actually l-likes Sakura…"

A prominent grin grew on the blonde's face, he would've plugged Sasuke's name right about here but decided against it considering the recent events, so he just nodded.

"Hey Juugo… could I ask you something" Hinata said timidly.

"Sure" he looked down at the kunoichi.

"When you told m-me about your c-curse… um… y-you said that you couldn't c-control it and that y-you stayed with Sa-Sasuke because h-he could control you," she paused to swallow the lump in her throat and look to see if her companion was comfortable with the topic of discussion, he nodded for her to continue. "How come yesterday, S-Sasuke wasn't able to st-stop you?"

Juugo's nose scrunched and he scratched the back of his head, "I never really thought about it… maybe the supposed cure that Karin gave me was more potent and therefore resulted in more adverse side effects that Sasuke couldn't control" he shrugged.

"B-but you were able to stop yourself" Hinata pointed out.

He mentally relived the moment, what had compelled him to fight his unprovoked rage? He could vividly remember throwing Sasuke through the wall and then… Hinata tried to protect him but he turned her around and used himself as a shield to protect her. Sasuke had risked his life to protect another, who would have ever thought that Uchiha Sasuke would risk his life for a girl. A smile crossed over Juugo's countenance as he remembered the scene.

"I remember wanting to kill both of you and then something inside my head clicked when Sasuke threw himself over you," he looked down at the Hyuuga heiress who didn't seem to completely grasp the implications of Sasuke's actions. "Sasuke was willing to risk his own life to protect you… I guess I had to do my part to protect you as well… to protect both of you."

"Hm" Hinata nodded in understanding, "your will to p-protect those you care about h-helped you overcome you urge to kill?"

"Yea, I guess you could put it like that," he smiled.

"You're strong Juugo," she commented cheerfully.

"Thank you, but so are you Hinata. You gave Karin quite the beating." He chuckled loudly, his bellowing laughs echoed through the forest.

"Karin's just not much of a fighter." Hinata reasoned, "I'm sure if it were anyone else I would have been done for."

"I highly doubt tha-" Juugo responded but was cut off when a flash of white passed his vision and Hinata was swiftly taken away.

Juugo watched at the tall male figure dressed in white robes carry Hinata away to land several metres away. Hinata kicked and fought against her captor. Juugo found himself held in his spot, one arm adorning green spandex wrapped around his throat and the other held his arm painfully behind his back. In front of him stood a kunoichi who wore her brown hair in two neat buns atop her head, she held a kunai to his neck.

"L-let g-go," Hinata protested against the person holding her in place. Her face held a grimace and her eyes were tightly shut as she fought to release herself.

"Hinata." Juugo called out to the Hyuuga heiress, eliciting curious glances from the three strangers.

"Let go!" she yelled out more confidently though her voice remained relatively quiet and could only be heard by those in the immediate area.

"Hinata, calm down," said the person holding her. The familiar voice seeped into her ears and she immediately stopped her thrashing to open her eyes.

"Neji-nii-san?" she looked up into eyes identical to her own.

"Who else would it be?" he released her only to be smothered in a tight embrace.

"W-what are y-you doing here?" she inquired.

"We are here to return you to Konoha" came Lee's vibrantly happy voice.

"Hinata, a little help?" asked Juugo who was still being held by Neji's teammates.

"Oh Juugo!" Hinata ran over to the blonde, "p-please let him go."

"Are you sure?" TenTen asked.

"Y-yes, he's a friend."

They looked over to Neji for the final decision, who looked like he would say no but upon seeing Hinata's pleading expression he motioned for them to release Hinata's apparent friend.

"Are you al-alright?" Hinata asked the blonde. He nodded.

"Who is this man Hinata?" Neji stood beside her protectively.

"Um…" she paused to rethink what she had decided to tell everyone. "H-he saved me… w-when I was attacked" she fibbed.

"Attacked? By whom?" Neji asked sternly.

"C-cloud," she stuttered under his harsh gaze.

"I knew they were behind this," Neji seethed.

"You knew?" she blinked at her cousin's deductions; they don't call him a genius for no reason.

"We met a team of three cloud shinobi in the village," TenTen added.

"Three?" Hinata only remembered two, "I w-was attacked by two."

"So they must have sent those three after the two you encountered were defeated" Neji reasoned, "so this man saved you?"

"Um… y-yes." She nodded meekly.

"Then a thank you is in order for protecting my cousin," Neji bowed slightly to Juugo.

"I didn't really do all that much," Juugo responded, he wasn't going to take credit for Sasuke's good deed.

"We are grateful for what you did anyway; you saved Hinata's precious springtime of youth!" Lee added enthusiastically.

There was a short awkward silence that was eventually broken by the Hyuuga prodigy, "you may leave now. We will escort her back to Konoha."

"A-actually, Juugo d-doesn't really have a h-home," Hinata said shyly. "I w-was going to speak to Tsunade on h-his behalf… I t-thought maybe h-he would be welcomed to Konoha i-in exchange f-for saving me."

"Are you sure about this?" Neji intently eyed his cousin for any doubt she might be hiding.

"Yes," she met his eyes with her typical bright smile and a confident nod.

"Very well then, he will come with us but ultimately if Tsunade declines then he would be asked to leave," her cousin informed.

"I understand."

* * *

As always, thanks for reading and reviewing! Please let me know your thoughts!


	22. Physical Separation

**CHAPTER 22: Physical Separation**

"Happy six months!" Hinata said cheerfully while skipping into the arms of the tall blonde.

They exchanged friendly hugs and Juugo uttered a grateful 'thanks.'

"Huh? Six months?" Sakura asked quizzically from her seat on the stool at the infamous Ichiraku Ramen stand, "you two have been dating?"

"N-no…" Hinata stuttered while a deep blush captured her face. Juugo smiled at the presumptuous question. How Sakura came to that conclusion from a simple three words was beyond Hinata, Juugo was like an older brother to Hinata… like Neji, except friendlier.

"Hinata is like a little sister to me," Juugo explained as he patted the top of her head affectionately, "it's the six month anniversary of me being welcomed to Konoha."

"Y-yea, we're h-having lunch to-together to celebrate," Hinata smiled and nodded.

"Oh…" Sakura's mouth formed into an 'O' shape, "well, congratulations Juugo on being a Konoha citizen for six months!"

"Yes, congratulations," Sai added with a signature 'Sai' smile.

"Naruto!" Sakura scolded and nudged him firmly in his side.

"What…?" he said grouchily and looked over to observe the newcomers, "oh, hi Hinata, Juugo. What's going on?"

"They're here to celebrate Juugo's six month anniversary since arriving in Konoha," Sai clarified.

"Oh…uh… congrats Juugo," Naruto said with a weak smile and then slumped back into his bowl of ramen, his _only_ bowl of ramen… yes, that's right, only one bowl.

"Thanks," Juugo said before taking a seat at the ramen stand and ushering Hinata down beside him.

The five Konoha citizens ate together comfortably for the most part, with the exception of Naruto who seemed a bit off. Sakura and occasionally Sai would ask Juugo how he liked it in Konoha, what he had been up to, had he made many friends… conversational questions.

Six months ago on this very day, Juugo and Hinata were escorted back to Konoha by Neji and his teammates. When they arrived home, the pair was immediately led to the Hokage office for questioning. Hinata had first given her report on her mission, citing that it was completed successfully but on her way home she was attacked by cloud ninja. Before they entered the office, Juugo had requested that she omit any and all information pertaining to the Uchiha and she complied. She felt guilty for the way things ended between them and saw this as an opportunity to redeem herself, at least in her own eyes. And so her mission report consisted of: success, attacked by cloud, rescued by… uh… Juugo, and rehabilitated by Juugo. Of course the Hyuuga heir stuttered and stammered her explanations nervously through the entire ordeal.

Fortunately for the pair, Tsunade took everything for what it was worth and didn't question further about what had transpired, but she did, however, have many questions for Hinata's new blonde friend. He chose to be honest with the Sannin, revealing his questionable background and affiliation with Orochimaru. He divulged the secrets of his past and the curse that plagued him his entire life, the curse that led to countless murders, the curse that was utilized by the snake Sannin to lure Sasuke away from Konoha.

Hinata was quick to mention that Juugo had been released from Orochimaru's captivity by none other than Sasuke himself and that the Uchiha had requested a cure be formulated for the tall blonde. She was persistent in making sure the point of the man being cured was made clear.

After a few days of deliberation between the Hokage and her advisors, Juugo was informed that he was welcome to remain in Konoha, but he would be placed under a six month probation period. Six months had come and gone and Juugo was the model citizen. He had chosen to live the life of a normal citizen instead of that of a shinobi, getting a job at a small restaurant.

The meetings that took place between the Hokage and her advisors did not revolve solely around Juugo but rather mainly involved talks about cloud. The village had made another blatant attempt at capturing the Byakugan and as last time, they refused to take responsibility. Relations between cloud and leaf were rocky at best. They tolerated each other and shared a peace treaty but in no way, shape, or form could the two villages be considered allies. Cloud was a hostile nation and when fingers were pointed, they denied responsibility for the attack on Hinata, citing that the ones who attacked her were rogue ninja. They also made threats that if Tsunade continued to make 'false' accusations then they would declare war for the integrity of their village.

Hinata was informed of the status between the two villages and she requested that they do everything to avoid war and so Tsunade dropped the subject. Precautions were now taken for the Hyuuga members when on missions. Hinata and Hanabi were never under any circumstances to be sent on solo missions or on teams consisting of less than three members. Both heiresses had willingly agreed to the terms and carried on with life.

"Anyway, we should get going," Sakura said as Sai placed enough money for his and her meals.

"Alright b-bye," Hinata and Juugo waved.

"Bye," Sai and Sakura said in unison and then walked off together.

"N-Naruto?" Hinata blinked, "you're not g-going with t-them?"

He sighed loudly, shook his head, and then returned to playing with the contents of his bowl.

"A-are you f-feeling alright?" she scooted over the two empty stools to sit beside him; a tinge of pink dressed her cheeks.

"No," he answered quietly.

"What's w-wrong?"

He turned to look at her with half lidded eyes, _he looks tired_, she thought. Naruto pulled on a weak smile that, in comparison to his usual smiles looked fake, "I found out today… Sakura and… and… Sai have been…" his face cringed, "going out for the last two months."

"O-oh," she replied.

"Yea…" he turned his face back to look forward, "I always thought it'd be Sasuke that would take Sakura away from me, but he's not even here to do that, because I failed to bring him back and then… Sai waltzes in and takes her away."

"Oh…" Hinata didn't know exactly how to react. On the one hand she was happy to hear that Sakura wasn't available anymore and maybe Naruto would be able to get over her, but she also felt guilty for not telling Naruto about her own encounter with Sasuke, and then there was that weird feeling that welled up in the pit of her stomach when Naruto spoke about Sasuke and Sakura being together.

Their return to Konoha was not necessarily a celebrated one. Of course, everyone was glad to have her back, but the handful that recognized Juugo were not pleased. Kiba and Shino, jumping into action much like Neji had done, removing her from the clutches of Orochimaru's minion. Naruto, especially, was not happy. He had stomped up to the man and pointed an accusatory finger, demanding information on Sasuke. In the end, the story they compiled left nothing for them to go on, and no where could Sasuke be found. Hinata would keep her promise to Juugo and not reveal she had been rescued by the Uchiha. For her sake, she didn't want Naruto to find out what had happened between herself and Sasuke. Fortunately, after everything was settled, the events of her attempted capture were old news and everyone had effectively forgotten about it, welcoming Juugo to the village with open arms.

"I'm sure that special girl of yours is somewhere out there," Juugo came over and took the seat on the other side of Naruto.

"Funny, Sakura said the same thing… actually she said…" Naruto turned up to look Hinata straight in the eyes; she fidgeted, blushed, and averted her gaze, "she said I should take Hinata out for dinner."

"W-what?" the heat in her face increased exponentially as she began playing with her fingers.

"Yea, so what do you say Hinata? Would you like to go to dinner with me?"

"I…I… uh…" she panicked. _Naruto's asking me out on a date! What should I do? Say yes!_, the voice in her head chimed. Juugo grunted loudly and she shot her pale eyes over to him. He grimaced and gave her a subtle shake of his head to indicate a 'no,' but when Naruto looked over, he refrained. She blinked 

confusedly at the man and then turned nervously to Naruto who was still awaiting her answer. "Um… ok, I'd l-like to g-go to dinner w-with you," she smiled and tried her best to look in his eyes.

"Great!" Naruto's mood changed instantly, "I'll stop by your place to pick you up tomorrow evening?"

"Y-yea, alright," she nodded timidly.

"I have to go tell Sakura," he yelled enthusiastically and rushed off.

"You sure cheered him up," Juugo said monotonously.

"Hm," she nodded.

"Come, let's take a walk," he stood up and pulled out enough money to pay for the ramen. Hinata obliged and fell into pace beside him, "so, I guess you finally got your date with Naruto."

"Y-yea, I guess," she looked up at Juugo seriously before asking, "have you heard from Sasuke?"

"No," he sighed and shook his head, "the animals tell me he's been wandering from village to village… Karin left him not long after we did, so he's been alone for months."

Hinata nodded in understanding, "I hope he'll choose to return eventually."

* * *

_He walked through the abandoned warehouse now occupied by gangs of thugs and missing nin. At the end of the long and dark hallway were large wooden double doors and leaning against the walls were various men, glaring at him. A few would even be brave enough to utter threats to the lone Uchiha, but never brave enough to backup their empty words. Sasuke ignored the gazes and verbal lashings, preferring to get the task over with. To everyone else, the last Uchiha was infamous, known for being the last Sharingan wielder, Orochimaru's student, and the great snake Sannin's murderer._

_Sasuke reached the double doors and shot his blazing red Sharingan eyes to the guards, who promptly pulled the doors open. He walked into the shadowy room and his once bored face grimaced. The room was consumed by smoke, billowy clouds of nicotine that ascended from the desk up to the ceilings. Gracing the plain white walls were shelves and clear window displays featuring artifact after artifact. There were items that ranged from ivory statues to ancient weaponry, some of the most fragile and valuable items Sasuke's eyes have ever seen. _

_The large shadow looming on the other side of the desk grunted to get the Uchiha's attention._

"_You like what you see?" the man asked from behind the smoky clouds and dark shadows that hid his face._

"_Pilfered goods don't interest me," Sasuke replied icily._

"_Pilfered goods?" the man cackled, "I'm touched you speak so highly of my collection," he retorted sarcastically._

"_Mission details," Sasuke demanded._

"_Hasty aren't we?" the man opened a drawer and pulled out a folder, "I was actually glad to hear that you had agreed to take this mission, and I must say I'm honoured to have the last Uchiha working for me."_

"_I haven't agreed to anything," Sasuke replied maliciously, "I'm here for the mission details."_

"_I guess I'll get to it then," he flipped the cover of the folder open and held up a photo of a middle aged man, "this is emperor __Katanako of Wind Country," he pulled out another photo, "this is the palace he resides in, just on the outskirts of the country. His estate is far enough away from Sunagakure, so you likely won't have to worry about Sand ninja."_

"_What exactly is it that you want me to do?" Sasuke stepped forward and took the photos._

"_Exterminate him as well as his two sons, the heirs," a spiteful grin formed on the man's face, "he was responsible for enacting the new laws specifically aimed at taking out the men that work for me as well as increasing the forces to take them out… Your job, Uchiha, is to get rid of the nuisance."_

"_You're hiring me as an assassin?" Sasuke quirked an eyebrow and smirked. The man nodded in reply, "I decline. I don't kill for others. Do your own dirty work."_

"_If you don't kill than what exactly have people been hiring you to do?" the man's tone was almost that of mocking._

"_I'll retrieve rare items held under extensive security, I'll escort, I'll assist on other such missions that don't involve killing mindlessly," he answered monotonously._

"_So the rumours are true then?" the man chuckled._

"_What rumours?" he seethed. He didn't like the idea that people were talking about him._

"_That the last surviving Uchiha is a soft one," the man interlaced his fingers and rested his chin on them, "that Uchiha Sasuke is not living up to the Uchiha name, that he's not as skilled as previous claims said, that he doesn't even have the mental capacity to take a life… that you're not even fit to be considered a ninja."_

_In a matter of seconds, Sasuke was on the other side of the man desk with his katana unsheathed and held threateningly at the man's throat._

And that was how Sasuke found himself lurking on the edge of the emperor of Wind Country's estate in the dead of night. The expanse of the estate was massive to say the least, it featured a near limitless luscious green lawn and rare species of flowers and trees, definitely the home of an emperor. With his Sharingan activated, he was easily able to bypass the guards surrounding the estate's perimeter. Once he made his way over the tall stone wall, the number of guards patrolling had doubled.

Sasuke managed to hide his presence in one of the large trees, waiting until the guard in front of him looked in the other direction. When the guard turned around, Sasuke swooped down and knocked him unconscious. Before continuing his stealthy infiltration, Sasuke made sure to hide the man's sleep induced body.

He ran the distance between the tree and the main house with unmatched speed. Leaping onto the old style roof gracefully, he paced around it while peeking into windows in search of the emperor or his sons. Most rooms belonged to servants which was made apparent by the lack of lavish possessions expected of an emperor. It wasn't until Sasuke reached the oversized balcony that he found a bedroom unlike the others.

He slid the window open with great care, making sure not to wake anyone. When it was open wide enough for his stature, he slipped in and closed it softly before taking slow and steady steps in exploration. The room was littered with extravagant furniture and trunks of toys. On opposite walls of the room sat separate cribs. He walked over to one of the cribs and cautiously looked into it… _nothing_. Sighing, he walked over to the other one and found that it was also empty.

Sasuke eyed the rest of the room attentively, but found nothing noteworthy and so he made his way to the door. He slid it open very slightly and then stuck out a mirror he had found on the bureau to observe an empty hallway. When he was satisfied there were no guards, he opened the door fully and walked out. Down one direction led to a flight of stairs and down the other led to large doors with intricate carvings that basically screamed 'emperor's bedchambers.'

When he reached the door, he wrung his fingers around the knob and turned it slowly. There was a light click and so he pushed it open before sticking his head in. There was large four post king sized bed on the opposite wall of the door and on the bed were two visible lumps. Sasuke stepped in and shut the door behind him before walking over to the bed. The man Sasuke saw in the photo slept on one side and a woman Sasuke assumed was his wife slept on the other. In between the couple lay two babies, twin baby boys.

Sasuke gritted his teeth at the sight. _I was hired to kill infants…_ his employer was truly a cold hearted man, if it wasn't enough to kill off the emperor then he wanted the infants dead as well. There was a sucking sound and Sasuke searched for it with his crimson eyes only to find that one of the babies was awake and looking straight at him. Eventually to sucking sound stopped and the baby opened its mouth to cry out in fear.

Instantly both parents awoke and attended to the crying infant, neither had noticed the Uchiha standing a few feet away.

"Shh… Shh…" the emperor comforted the baby boy in his arms, softly bouncing him. But the man's attention was drawn away from the crying baby when an unfamiliar sound entered his ears; it was the sound of a katana being unsheathed.

"Emperor Katanako," Sasuke stated more than asked while he held his katana by its hilt.

"Wh-who are y-you?" the man stammered nervously, holding his son protectively against his chest.

"I was hired to kill you," Sasuke answered indifferently before pulling his katana back in preparation.

"No!" the woman shrieked and shuffled to her husband's side. She had the other baby in one arm and her other arm was slung around his front protectively, "please don't kill my husband," she pleaded.

"Hinata…" Sasuke muttered, his eyes were wide in shock from what he had just uttered. The couple looked up at him confusedly.

The scene looked strikingly familiar. The emperor's wife was beautiful for a woman in her later years. She had ivory pale skin and… long indigo hair that hung well down her back. Sasuke analyzed her face; she had deep, dark, brown eyes and a few faint wrinkles. All in all, her face was delicate and still gorgeous, but it lacked the indigo bangs that would frame it so perfectly. She had thrown herself in front of her husband and their sons in an effort to protect them, even if it meant losing her own life.

Sasuke's face softened and he dropped his hand before sheathing the katana behind his back. He broke the eye contact and walked swiftly to the glass doors of the balcony. He sent the couple one last glance before firmly opening the doors and disappearing into the dark night.

* * *

**A/N:** Woot! Timeskip signals the start of the third and last story arc. I like writing a tormented Sasuke, poor guy. Next chapter features the Naruhina date.

I want to write an AU Juuhina ficlet. Something short and sweet, maybe a handful of chapters. I think they'd be so cute together. Hmm... maybe after this is complete, but with a different characterization of Juugo since we're seeing more of him in the manga.

Anyway, thank you to all those who reviewed and read! You guys are awesome! Oh, and a special thanks to **Nibinlotwen**, who provided me with names way back when, Katanako being one of them.


	23. Open Floodgates

**CHAPTER 23: Open Floodgates**

Hinata stood in front of her full length mirror, a finger settled on her bottom lip as her pale lavender eyes scanned the person looking back at her. She wore a plain, tan coloured yukata with faint, barely-there floral prints. With the yukata came a matching golden orange obi that she had tied perfectly into a delicate bow at the small of her back. She had gone out earlier that day with Hanabi and chosen that specific yukata because of the orange obi, orange was Naruto's favourite colour after all.

"What do you think?" the Hyuuga heiress twirled for her sister and cousin.

"I like it," Hanabi complimented while she fiddled with a kunai, "Naruto will be pleased, I'm sure."

"I don't like it," Neji scoffed from his spot leaning against the wall, "I don't know why you even agreed to go out with that fool."

"Would you rather it be Kiba?" Hinata smiled timidly and went back to admiring herself in the mirror.

"Not Kiba, maybe Shino," Neji replied thoughtfully, "he doesn't seem interested."

"Ex-exactly," Hinata giggled, "I l-like Na-Naruto," she stuttered. She was going on an actual date with Naruto and she still had trouble admitting that she liked him. _Oh, I hope I don't faint…_

"Lay off Neji," Hanabi threw the kunai at her cousin who caught it expertly, "she's like Naruto practically her entire life… she deserves this."

"You're biased," he retorted.

"Biased?"

"You're friends with that Konohamaru kid and he worships Naruto," Neji resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"But Neji, you like Naruto," Hinata pointed out.

"Not anymore," he scowled.

"He's just spoiling everything for you, don't pay attention to him," Hanabi stuck her tongue out at her cousin.

There was a soft knock on her bedroom door which was answered by Neji. One of the many servants bowed politely before speaking, "Uzumaki Naruto has arrived to take Lady Hinata out."

"Thanks! Let him know that she'll be down in a bit," Hanabi answered as she frantically straightened out Hinata's yukata and gave her hair a thorough brush, "perfect. Go get him big sis!"

"Al-alright," Hinata stuttered and blushed profusely.

Neji snorted and followed the Hyuuga heiress to the front door of the Hyuuga mansion with Hanabi scurrying behind them.

Hinata cracked the front door open and started to feel light headed when she saw Naruto standing in his signature orange pants but instead of the orange and black jacket, he just wore a black t-shirt. She pulled the door open fully and stepped out; she didn't miss the widening of his bright cerulean eyes.

"H-hi Naruto," she greeted with her head bowed down to hide the deep blush, "I'll b-be b-back in a s-second."

"Yea, take your time," he grinned and she nearly melted.

Hinata stepped back inside to find her sister and cousin.

"What's wrong?" Hanabi asked.

"Y-you won't t-tell father, right?" she looked at the two worriedly.

"I won't say anything," Hanabi held her hand up as if swearing before a courtroom, "Neji won't either, right?" She narrowed her eyes at the Hyuuga branch member who nodded in agreement… reluctantly.

"Thanks! I'll b-be back l-later then," Hinata smiled brightly and headed back out the door to meet a waiting Naruto.

They walked out of the Hyuuga compound together side by side. Hinata's fingers pushed against each other as she tried her best not to faint.

"Uh… you look really nice Hinata," Naruto smiled vibrantly at her and scratched his head nervously.

"Th-thanks," she replied graciously as her blush continued to heighten.

"I was going to take you to Ichiraku Ramen, but Sakura told me it was a bad idea so I have something else planned out," he laughed nervously.

"Ramen is ok if t-that's what y-you want," she replied meekly.

"Nah… what I have planned is much better," he grabbed her hand in his and dragged her along, "come on."

Hinata's blush deepened as their hands melded together. His pace sped up when they left the compound and entered the streets. Together, they brushed past the many villagers out for their daily errands and vendors who called out to the pair to eat at their stands. It didn't take long for Hinata to recognize the route that he was leading her through, and mere minutes after that, the ninja academy came into view.

"Th-the academy?" she asked curiously.

"Yea, it was Sakura's idea," he pulled her along onto the academy grounds, "this is where we met."

"It w-was a g-good idea," she smiled and felt her heart thump erratically. Even if it was Sakura's idea, somehow having him take her here for that reason made everything seem substantially more romantic.

"I asked Iruka to let us into the classroom but he said no," Naruto chuckled, "but he told me about a spot he found awhile back when he went on one of his walks through the forest on the grounds."

Hinata nodded happily and let him drag her around the school and out to its back. The familiar forest came into view and she stopped in her tracks, which caused her to nearly stumble when he didn't stop pulling her along. It was like a floodgate had open, it was at that very moment when she realized where Naruto was leading her. All the memories she had tried so hard to suppress were coming back and with a vengeance. Everything was all too familiar for her liking and it all reminded her of one night… _that_ night, it was the last time she had been to _their_ spot under _their_ tree.

"Hey, are you alright?" Naruto's raspy voice broke her from her trance and his stray hand came up to wipe the one stagnant tear sitting at the corner of her eye, his callous thumb running under her eye, "it brings back a lot of memories being back here doesn't it?"

"Y-yea," she nodded, though this time no blush came.

"Come on, it gets better," he grabbed her hand again and began leading her into the forest, "I promise."

_Promise._ The word echoed through her head and she felt her heart wrenched, but she let him lead her. As much as it hurt to be back there, she actually was curious to see if it had changed all that much. They walked together down the barely visible trail and deep into the centre of the forest. At the very centre stood the same exact tree she remembered from her time at the academy, her refuge and sanctuary, the one she shared with Sasuke. Under the tree were a picnic basket and a dark blue blanket spread out over the ground.

"Here we are," Naruto said proudly and tugged Hinata under the tree, "apparently no one comes here but there are markings on the tree bark and some of it looks like it had been burnt," he guided her to the tree's large base and pointed it out.

Hinata ran a gentle hand over the carefully marked X's that Sasuke had used for target practice. Then her pale eyes wandered over the burnt bark from the many times Sasuke had used his fire Jutsu. She blinked the tears away from her eyes and began to walk around the tree's base while Naruto unpacked the picnic basket. She encountered the spot she had occupied so many times while she and Sasuke ate together; it was the spot under the tree which was slightly concaved in to fit her back perfectly. The Hyuuga heiress smiled and sat down to see if it still fit as perfectly as it did back then and to her amusement, it did.

Through her academy years, there were few times that she felt genuinely happy. It was rough being berated by her father, sister, and cousin, but she was able to pull through because she had this tree and _him_.

"Hinata"

"Hm?" she turned and smiled up to see Naruto standing over her, but the smile instantly vanished when she realized she had half-expected to see Sasuke and his duck butt head of hair.

"Are you sure you're feeling ok?" Naruto crouched down in front of her and looked concerned.

"Yea," she nodded and pulled on the best smile that she could under the circumstances, which was not at all convincing.

"I can take you home and we can go out some other time," Naruto said compassionately.

"N-no," she shook her head. This was Uzumaki Naruto in front of her, the one man she had desired for so many years and she was on a date with him, there was no way she was going to give this up, so she pulled herself together and shoved all her memories of Sasuke aside. "Let's e-eat," she said with a smile and stood up to walk over to the blanket… the dark blue blanket that resembled the one Sasuke had lent her when he offered to train her. Naruto really had a way of unknowingly making this date incredibly difficult for the Hyuuga heiress.

They ate together peacefully and Hinata had managed to keep her emotions in check which surprised her, even her usual Naruto induced blushes were absent. It was odd, suddenly being under her tree made her date with Naruto seem… insignificant.

"It w-was good," she helped him pack away the empty containers, "di-did you p-pack it all?"

"I did and then Sakura ransacked it," he grinned, "apparently instant ramen isn't romantic."

Hinata giggled, "anything w-would h-have been f-fine."

"Nah, only the best for whoever I take out," he gave her a thumbs up and a wink, "it's getting dark, can I walk you home?"

"Y-yea, I'd l-like that," she replied shyly.

Naruto folded the blanket up and packed it in the basket before grabbing her hand and leading her out of the forest and academy grounds into the streets of Konoha. Along the way to the Hyuuga compound, Naruto told her anecdotes of some of his more exciting missions and then some of the pranks he had played on people as a kid and even now. She laughed at them, Naruto always had a way of making her smile and she admired that.

"Naruto! Hinata!" the pair stopped to search for the voice that had called out to them. Sakura ran up to them with Sai trailing behind her, "you two are so cute together! So how did the date go?"

Hinata blushed madly as she noticed both Sakura's and Sai's eyes drift to her and Naruto's joined hands.

"It was great, right Hinata?" he squeezed her hand affectionately.

"Y-yes," she smiled and nodded.

"That's nice to hear" Sakura winked at Hinata when their eyes met, "me and Sai are just coming back from dinner."

"Oh yea? How was it?" Naruto inquired.

"It was pleasant," Sai answered.

"It was nice," Sakura added as she wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned into his chest, "Sai is leaving on his first ANBU mission under Tsunade tomorrow."

"Where to?" Naruto asked curiously.

"Wind country"

"What's the mission?" the blonde grinned mischievously.

"I can't disclose that information," Sai said stoically.

"Alright fine," Naruto huffed, "don't get yourself killed."

"I won't"

"Good, anyway I should be getting Hinata home," he started pacing backwards, "I'll see you for training tomorrow Sakura."

The four said their 'good byes' and Naruto continued to lead the Hyuuga heiress back home. They walked in a comfortable silence with hands still latched together. Naruto, being a gentleman, walked Hinata all the way to the front steps of the Hyuuga mansion.

"Well, I had fun," he scratched the back of his head nervously; "can we do it again sometime?"

Hinata faltered slightly when he had asked that, "um… s-sure."

"Great," he laughed lightly, "well… uh… good night I guess."

"Y-yea, good n-night Naruto," Hinata said timidly before turning to enter the mansion.

"Wait," he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her back gently. She blinked at his bold move and brought her pale lavender eyes to look into his bright cerulean ones. One of his hands rested on her chin and eased her head closer towards his which was drawing forward. Their lips were nearly touching and his breath was more than evident against her face. Her eyes shut in anticipation but snapped open when her mind replaced the man before her with another. She had subconsciously pictured someone else, someone with raven hair and deep onyx eyes.

Hinata pulled away from Naruto right before their lips could meet, "I'm s-sorry," she muttered and bowed her head down apologetically.

"It's alright," he caressed her cheek with one hand, "I get it, you're shy. I can wait."

She looked up at him, "I'm so-sorry."

"Don't be," he smiled genuinely at her, "I'll leave you now. Have a nice night Hinata," he took both her hands in his and kissed her atop her head and then walked off.

* * *

Sasuke pushed the door to the warehouse open forcefully causing a few of the thugs and lowly ninja nearby to flinch. One of the guards approached him but soon scurried off when he was met with Sasuke's blazing Sharingan eyes. He stomped down the familiar hallway that he had walked down only a day earlier, sending deathly glares to any who dared to even glance his way, they knew who he was and knew not get in an Uchiha's way, especially in the apparent mood he was currently in.

When he reached the door at the end of the hall he was met with two guards that were missing nin of higher calibre than the rest. They stopped him at the door and informed him that the man behind the doors, the one Sasuke was looking for, was busy with a client. Of course, Sasuke could care less…

"I don't give a rat's ass if he's busy," Sasuke seethed, "I have business with him."

"Wait your turn," the guard replied with an arrogant smirk as he stepped in front of Sasuke threateningly.

Sasuke called the man's bluff and swiftly sent a fist flying into the man's face. He flew back and slammed into the wall just to the side of the door. While the man tried to get up, sounds of chirping birds emanated through the warehouse. The Uchiha charged forward with Chidori in hand and met it to the man's chest, right over his heart with eerie precision. The man before him convulsed and then went limp.

"Worthless dead weight," Sasuke uttered impassively and turned to scowl at the other guard. The man whimpered and then ran away frantically. Sasuke snorted smugly before turning to the door, pushing it open a little more delicately than he did the other one. His crimson eyes looked over to the table and his ears honed in on the gasps and suckling noises. Two shadows were interlocked and apparently too busy to notice their new guest.

The two were broken from their ministrations when something whipped past their heads and hit the wall with a crack. They tore apart instantly and looked to the doorway where the shuriken had been thrown. Amidst the shadows and the luminance from the door, only two red eyes could be seen.

"Get out if you know what's good for you," Sasuke directed at the woman.

She looked from the man behind the table to Sasuke contemplatively before deciding to finally get up and do as he said. Sasuke glared at her as she skipped to the door with her shirt open and revealing too much for his liking. It took all his willpower not to draw his blade and slit her throat when she stopped in front of him and took his left hand in her right and with her other hand she slid it into the opening of his robe.

He tilted his head to look down into her violet eyes when she whispered something repulsive into his ear, "you're pitiful, get out of my sight," he said icily and removed her hands from his skin.

She huffed and stomped off.

"Just another whore," the man behind the table added as he intertwined his fingers, "so, I assume the mission was a success?"

Sasuke disappeared in a flash and materialized in front of the man, he had the man by the collar and held up against one of his numerous display cases. The Uchiha had his jaws clenched tightly.

"You are a crude man that needs to find himself a moral compass," Sasuke pulled him off and slammed him back into the display case, shattering the glass, "you're below pathetic… despicable, sending someone to kill mere infants because you're too weak to do it yourself."

"Guards! Guards!" he grimaced as shards of glass penetrated his skin.

"They won't come," Sasuke smirked devilishly, "tell me… what do you think of the Uchiha name now?"

"Let me go…" the man pleaded.

"Do you still think I lack the mental capacity to kill another?" the tomoe of his Sharingan circled violently, "let me offer you a piece of advice to take to the grave. Never speak ill of the Uchiha name or you could easily lose your life… or in your case you _will_ lose your life."

Sasuke's face turned into a cold and impassive stare as a snake slithered out of his sleeve and wrapped around the man's neck, constricting until his face was pale and his eyes bulging. Seconds later all life left the man's body and his hands, which were fighting against Sasuke's grip, fell down to his side. The snake unravelled itself and retreated back into the loose sleeve.

He dropped the man to the ground and turned to leave. Walking through the doorway, he noticed that something had changed. The hall was littered with dead bodies and sounds of battling could be heard from all throughout the warehouse. He felt something graze the toes of his open toe sandals and looked down to see a black mouse dash away.

A body flew out from another doorway and slammed into the wall followed by a cloaked figure who drove a ninjaken into the body. The cloaked figure then turned to look at Sasuke with its white porcelain mask.

* * *

**A/N:** I wanted to write Naruto as a horribly annoying and obnoxious date so that Hinata wouldn't like him but alas, I just couldn't do that to him. It's just more interesting this way. He's what I call the "insert guy". I don't know if you guys watch asian dramas as much as I do, but _Fated to Love You_ and _It Started With a Kiss_ have prime examples of this "insert guy" who is placed opposite the male lead and usually shows a deep interest in the female lead and is super sweet, but never gets the girl. I feel bad for them, but it just has to be done for this fic.

Alright, thanks for reading and reviewing! A special thank you this time because the story has been favourited just over 100 times! So thank you everyone for your support and encouragment. Lastly, if you read my other fics, check my livejournal for status updates. Things are busy...


	24. Epiphany

**CHAPTER 24: Epiphany**

The porcelain masked ANBU briskly yanked his ninjaken out of the body, causing it to fall to the floor in a limp mass. The ANBU wore a mask that resembled a frog with lines of red and tan outlining the more prominent features. Sasuke observed the cloaked figure and found very little that would betray his identity, but what was apparent was the ANBU member's village. On the forehead of the mask was an engraved, Sand village emblem.

There was resounding whistle from under the mask followed by another whistle from another location. In mere seconds another ANBU appeared beside the frog masked one. The new ANBU was uncloaked unlike his partner. He was clad in the typical ANBU attire; a long-sleeve, black shirt under a steel plate and black slacks. His mask delicately formed to resemble a cat with green and orange paint to accent. Sasuke's body tensed ever so slightly when he recognized the crest on the forehead of the cat mask. He was a Leaf ninja working alongside a sand ninja.

"Uchiha Sasuke," the serene voice of the Konoha ANBU stated calmly, "why are you here?" Peculiarly, there was almost a strange innocence about the way he asked, like he either was oblivious to Sasuke's talents or didn't care.

"I could ask the same thing." Sasuke unsheathed his sword from behind him. "Why are Konoha ANBU in Wind country?"

"Eliminating pests," the Sand ANBU replied as he dropped the cloak to the floor and took his battle stance.

"Wait." The Leaf ANBU's hand came up to stop his partner. "What business do you have here, Uchiha?"

Sasuke smirked and snarled, "eliminating pests." His head snapped back in a motion to draw the ANBUs' attention to the room behind him.

Sand's ANBU member stood tall to look over Sasuke's broad shoulders to see their target's lifeless body on the floor. "He's dead," the ANBU informed.

"Our mission is complete. Looks like we are done." Konoha's ANBU removed his mask and smiled amusedly before speaking with a content tone to match his smile, "it's been awhile, Sasuke."

"Hn." Sasuke smirked arrogantly. "My replacement."

"Sai," he corrected.

"Are you going to try and take me back now?" Sasuke tilted his head enough for his crimson Sharingan to be perceptible.

"For my friends." Sai motioned for his fellow ANBU to back off and then he pulled out a few scrolls from his pouch. A few lively hand strokes and hand seals were followed by a thunderous roar, shaking the warehouse's foundation. Two monstrous lions leapt off the scrolls, one with a full mane of ink and the other a toned and muscular lioness. They prowled down the hall, baring their sharp ink-based teeth.

"You're still determined to return me to Naruto and Sakura?" Sasuke's smirk grew more devious as his katana began singing the song of chirping birds, iridescent blue light swam all along the blade with vigour and ferocity. "You know, they don't need me."

"That may be so, but they prefer that you return to Konoha," Sai continued with an oddly happy smile.

"Tell Naruto to train, get stronger, and bring me back himself," he countered derisively, "and Sakura… tell her to get over me. It's beyond pathetic to keep vying for love where it is impossible."

Sai's smile disappeared and he blinked confusedly at the Uchiha, "Sakura liked you?"

"Hn."

"Hmm… you are attractive." Sai tilted his head slightly. "I suppose you are better looking than me… So, bonds are not based on appearance?"

"What do you mean by that?" Sasuke seethed.

"I would believe that my bond with her is stronger than yours. Sakura claims that she loves me," Sai stated as if it were nothing particularly significant.

"You and Sakura?" Sasuke smirked again and waved his katana at the felines still growling. "What next? You're going to tell me that Naruto's found himself a little girlfriend to cling to, too?"

"Actually, he appears to be very happy with Hinata," Sai replied calmly, his eyes squinted to compliment his smile.

"Hinata?"

"Yes, the Hyuuga," the dark haired ANBU elaborated.

Sasuke growled and with one chakra enhanced push of his feet he was thrown forward at a blistering speed. His katana cut through the lioness that jumped forward easily before stabbing the other lion which made to grapple one of his limbs. Without much effort to his attacks, the two felines melted into pools of sheen black ink and Sasuke continued forward until the blade of his katana pierced Sai's chest. His pale face, still adorning a smile, soon melted into a pool of ink as well. Then the feel of cool metal met Sasuke's throat. Sai stood behind Sasuke with his ninjaken pressed firmly to the pulsing flesh of the last Uchiha's throat.

"You were careless," Sai's ever calm and impassive voice stated, "your emotions got the better of you." Sai's normally blissful face betrayed a look of curiosity and contemplation. "Your Sharingan should have made it evident that that was a clone," he paused his speech briefly, "why did the mention of Hinata's name affect you so?"

"Hn." Sasuke scowled and then his skin and flesh slowly dissolved to reveal a cluster of snakes tangled and woven in the form of a body. They fell apart and slithered away, leaving Sai puzzled as Sasuke was gone.

Somewhere a distance from the warehouse, Sasuke leapt through the forest from branch to branch. His teeth were gritted solidly and his hands fisted until his knuckles were a ghost white.

* * *

The door shut behind her with a soft click. She ascended the steps of the Hyuuga mansion towards her room. Her heart was pounding, thumping so uncontrollably that it ached. Her round face held a look of disbelief. All throughout her childhood, the time before Sasuke and the time after Sasuke, was all dedicated to Naruto and today her dream came true. Naruto had taken her out on a romantic and perfect date. But even so, all she could think about was the guilt welling up inside of her.

Nearly four years ago, Sasuke had openly declared that she meant something to him, that she possibly was the only person that meant something to him, and she was the one that grasped their friendship firmly in her hands, but only proceeding to shred it to bits. Then just over six months ago, it happened all over again. He confided that she and only she was the one he desired to be with, that she was the one he wished to revive the Uchiha clan alongside. If Hinata had chosen to accept him back into her life under those circumstance then he would have returned and maybe she would have been with him under their tree and not with Naruto. It was odd being there with him; somehow he felt so out of place.

The Hyuuga heiress continued to trudge up the steps and down the hall. She was snapped out of her trance when she heard sounds of bickering coming from Hanabi's bedroom which was next to hers.

"I was right," Neji snickered.

"No, it's just the beginning you can't be sure quite yet!" Hanabi retorted.

"Wh-what's going on?" Hinata gently pushed the door open.

"Nothing!" Hanabi snapped instantly and narrowed her eyes at Neji who frowned and rolled his eyes. "So how was your date?"

"Mm." Hinata nodded meekly, "good."

"That's it? No dirt?" The younger Hyuuga sister skipped over, "where'd he take you?"

"To the academy, for a picnic…" Hinata let her head hang. "No where special."

"Are you alright?" Neji paced over to the sisters.

"Y-yea, I'm just going to go to bed." She looked into their pale eyes and gave them a weak smile before retreating into the hall.

"What was that about?" Hanabi looked up to her older cousin. He shrugged.

* * *

Hinata rolled over in bed and faced her window. The sun had just risen and the morning rush of people was just starting to convene on the streets. She sighed and pulled her comforter off. Walking over to her dresser, she pulled it open to search for an outfit and found one swiftly. Shutting it, she pulled the next drawer opened and dug her hands under the piles before her hands grasped onto her photo album.

With one quick motion, the album was flipped opened to the very end. The two pictures of her and Sasuke that she had hidden away were pulled out of the back sleeve. Without even looking at them, Hinata walked over to her sweater hung behind her door and slipped them into one of the pockets. Then she went off to shower and dress.

After showering and dressing, Hinata slipped away from the Hyuuga compound. She didn't want to be noticed, today she needed to be alone, and today she needed to be left with her own thoughts.

Hinata walked through the streets and manoeuvred through the crowds in a quick and steady pace. Soon the academy came into view and she broke out in a sprint, her hair dancing behind her and arms moving in time with each step. She ran past the many confused and curious looks, the many merchants beckoning her to stop, the many academy students wandering the grounds before classes started, and then past the many trees that indicated she was on the right path.

She didn't stop or let up until her pale eyes landed on the tree's large base. Hinata dropped to her knees, on the dirt ground, and panted heavily to regain her breath. Her face constricted into a pained wince as a result of the tight feeling in her chest. Eventually her breathing slowed and she calmed enough to regain herself. When she finally pulled herself to her feet, the two photos were slipped from her pocket. Each individual sheet was held them up in either hand.

She paced sideways around the tree until one of the pictures would match up with the spot she stood at, and then she would look between the picture and the spot, almost expecting the see the image translate over to what was before her, but it never did. One single tear seeped out one of her pale orbs and made a slow and gentle path down her cheek. She swiftly wiped it away with her sleeve before putting the pictures away and taking a seat at her spot.

It was reminiscent of the night they had met and he had offered to train her, except it was over four years later and he wasn't there to console her. Hinata sat with her knees pulled up to her chest, her arms wrapped firmly around her shins, and her head hung deep between her knees. That night she had cried and he had held her until her tears soaked his shirt.

She let the mental barriers in her mind break down and she was flooded by all the memories, times when they sparred well into the night or when they ate together and he would always looked so sated by her packed meals. He was the reason she had awakened her Byakugan, the reason she had grown strong, the reason she smiled every day. A breath caught in her throat as she remembered how he had also been the one to save her, and Hinata turned him away for _Naruto _-- the blonde who had never noticed her as anything special.

Tears fought gallantly to break free of the hold of her lashes. Uchiha Sasuke was willing to dedicate himself to her and Naruto only noticed her because Sakura wasn't available anymore.

"_It's doesn't sound like love to me. It sounds more like an admiration… maybe you don't love him as much as you think,"_ she recounted what Juugo had said to her.

Whimpering, the tears fell. "I'm so… s-so st-stupid!" She breathed in short breaths and quivered. "How... h-how could I have m-missed that… I've made a h-horrible mistake…" she sobbed in between her knees, "I'm so s-sorry Sasuke, I'm so sorry. It w-was a m-mistake… a h-horrible mistake."

_I'm going to fix this… I'm going to fix this…_ she repeated mentally and wiped the tears away. Getting up to her feet she pulled a kunai and senbon out of her weapons pouch and turned around to the tree before she began carving. This tree belonged to her and Sasuke and she refused to let new memories with Naruto be formed here.

* * *

Naruto sat impatiently at his dining table, a Styrofoam cup of instant ramen keeping him company whil snuck peeks under the cover in anticipation. There was a soft knock at his door and he almost ignored it in favour of instant ramen, but decided against it because he rarely had company. So why not take it for what it was worth? The blond waltz over to the door with a full grin and pulled it open to see Hinata standing outside with her head held down and her hands clasped together in front of her.

"Hinata?" he bent down to look up into her pained face. Her eyes were shut tightly but the tears were clear. "What's wrong?" he asked, putting an arm around her waist and pulling her over the threshold.

"I n-need to t-tell you s-something," she answered hastily, just barely loud enough for him to hear.

"I'm listening, go ahead." He had his hands on her shoulders reassuringly.

"E-ever since I w-was little…" Her head began to shake alongside the quake of her entire body. "I thought… I th-thought that I l-loved y-you, Naruto."

Naruto stiffened at her declaration. He had never noticed anything that would have led him to believe her words and then it hit him. Her nervous stuttering, her fidgeting, her blushing… "Wait, you thought?"

She nodded and finally looked up to meet his eyes. "I… I w-was wrong," she offered honestly. Biting her bottom lip, she searched for her words. "I'm sorry… I l-led you t-to believe that I m-might h-have wanted to b-be with y-you… I know n-now that my love b-belongs to s-someone else and I've made a h-horrible mistake… please understand…"

"Did I do something wrong?" He looked puzzled, face contorted in all sorts of expressions. "Who are you talking about?"

"I'm sorry, b-but I have to go." As quickly as she could, Hinata bowed politely and turned on the balls of her heels to step over the threshold. She broke into sprint one she was out the door, just as the crystalline tears continued to stream down her cheeks, leaving Naruto standing alone in his apartment.

She descended the stairs of Naruto's apartment complex with the ease of a true kunoichi and ran towards her next destination in the dark of night and through empty streets. It wasn't far from Naruto's place. Actually, it was a five minute walk, but she was running and she reached the door two minutes after leaving Naruto's. She knocked and then waited patiently for the man that over the last six months had become a brother to her.

The door opened cautiously to reveal Juugo, who stood many heads taller than her. "Hinata? Why are you crying?" He pulled her into a warm hug before continuing his interrogation of sorts, "did that Naruto kid do this, 'cause if he did-"

"No, it w-wasn't Naruto," she cut him off before he could utter any threats of maiming the blonde goof, "I n-need your help."

"My help?" Juugo pulled back to get a better look at her face.

She smiled weakly, "I need to find Sasuke."

* * *

"Tsunade!" Shizune called out to the Hokage as she entered her office.

"I know, assemble all available Chuuin and Jounin." Tsunade walked out of her office, followed closely behind by her assistant. "And send a message to the gate guards to shut all entrances and exits. No one leaves or enters unless I give the okay. Don't let the intruder escape with the scroll."

* * *

**A/N:** Here it is! Chapter 24. I'm also finally out of school and determined to finish this fic over the break since it's sooooo close to completion. With that said, expect updates within a few days to a week. I've got my fingers crossed.

Thanks for all your reviews and support thus far. I appreciate it all!

And, I've put a new poll up. Please vote by trekking over to my profile.


	25. Out of Reach

**CHAPTER 25: Out of Reach**

"That way." Genma pointed over in the direction a cloaked figure had just vanished. He and Raidou leapt off the rooftop and advanced forward through the desolate streets.

"I lost him." Raidou skidded to a stop and turned to his fellow leaf shinobi, who stood on a high branch to get a better look. "Do you see anything?"

Three kunai shot out from a distant tree and glided towards the senbon user followed by a malice cackle before the figure leapt out of the tree, landing in front of Raidou. Shots were thrown and dodged between the two shinobi.

Genma managed to escape two of the kunai, but the last cut pass his upper arm and tore away the fabric, now soaked in blood. "Damn," he cursed and pulled out a matching number of senbon and threw them expertly towards the figure now battling with Raidou.

He smirked arrogantly seeing the senbon needles thrown by his partner and took the opportunity to throw out a kick and reach for the scroll hanging off the side of the cloak. Two sets of leaf ninja eyes widened when the senbon passed through the figure, which proceeded to… evaporate? Dancing and swaying like hot steam coming off a cup of tea while its owner blew to cool the contents.

There was a whistle that caught both their attentions as Anko and Kakashi whipped past them. With a quick nod, they too were off in the direction of the whistle… towards Konoha's main gates.

The large gates, which were rarely closed, came into sight of the four ninja as they ran at a blistering pace to try and retrieve the scroll. They all skidded to a stop, dirt and sand flying up in the air, then there was an explosion. Izumo and Kotetsu were thrown unceremoniously from the cloud of dust and dirt, landing in front of the group with grunts of pain. Genma and Raidou went to check on their comrades as Kakashi and Anko walked cautiously into the dissipating cloud of dirt.

The cloud cleared and left them a vision of the large gates destroyed. A hole big enough to fit a full blown Akimichi Chouji was what remained as a souvenir of the night's events. "I think he got away." Kakashi ran one hand along the outer rim of the hole, which was charred black from the explosion.

"You think?" Anko snorted. "Time to break the new to Hokage-sama," she stated and turned towards the Hokage tower and sighed.

* * *

Hinata blinked her pale orbs at the tall blonde standing with her in a half embrace, his hands holding her shoulders firmly. She couldn't really make out the expression on his face. It was somewhere between what appeared to be joy and disbelief. His lips held a small upturn on each side while one of his brows was arched up in curiosity.

"Find Sasuke?" Juugo eyed the girl quizzically as she nodded timidly. "You're looking for my help… to find Sasuke?"

"Y-yes?" It was meant as a statement, but under his gaze it came out as a question.

Juugo sighed and pulled her into his apartment and shut the door to keep the night's cool air out. They both took seats on opposite sides of his dining table as they waited for the water he had put on the stove to warm up. The older man watched her attentively, making Hinata feel uncomfortable for one of the few times since she'd been in his presence. He seemed to be deep in thought and she wondered why the subject of finding Sasuke stung him so deep when she would have predicted that he'd be overjoyed at the prospect.

"Why?" he said simply and then got up to prepare the tea.

"Why?" Hinata echoed and felt the tears begin to well up at the corners of her eyes, "why do I w-want to find Sasuke?"

He nodded and placed a cup in front of her, "if you're happy with Naruto, then what good is it to bring him back?"

She looked up at him with her glazed, pale eyes and bit her lip to prevent it from quivering. Juugo stiffened in his seat, almost regretful of the slightly cold manner he'd used to deal with the topic of Sasuke.

"Y-you w-were… right." The tears fell and she furiously shook her head before stammering her answer, "you w-were right about e-everything…"

Juugo left his seat and knelt down across from her, holding both her small hands in his bigger ones as a means of providing comfort.

Hinata hung her head as she continued, "you were right a-about Naruto." She heaved a deep breath, "and… and Sasuke."

"How so?" He caressed her cheek warmly and wiped a stray tear away with his thumb.

Hinata sniffled. "Because it's not Naruto… it's Sasuke… it's always been Sasuke."

The blonde couldn't help but smile at her confession and then his insides welled with joy as he noticed she hadn't stuttered her declaration.

"Alright." He smiled genuinely up at the Hyuuga heiress. "I'll help you find Sasuke."

She smiled weakly and leaned forward to wrap her arms around him. "Thank you Juugo… for everything."

He returned her comment with a grateful smile of his own. "It should be I thanking you."

"No." She shook her head. "I'm blessed to have you in my life… Sasuke was wise to befriend you."

"You were wise to befriend Sasuke," he replied smoothly.

"No… I was foolish to let him go." She pulled away and laughed lightly. "And for a guy who didn't notice me until the object of his fantasies was out of reach… but I'm going to fix everything."

"Alright then." He pushed a few strands of hair out of her face. "When do we start?"

However, before the two could hatch a plan to retrieve their beloved friend, both their heads snapped up to the door. Where there were loud knocks, and then a familiar male voice.

"Hinata!" The persistent knocks continued accompanied by a few barks.

"Kiba?" Hinata said quietly, only loud enough to make Juugo quirk an eyebrow at their new guest.

Hinata snatched a napkin off Juugo's dining table and wiped all evidence of her tears away as she made to open the door.

"We apologize for the interruption." Shino bowed politely when the door had opened.

"No need to apologize, please come in." Juugo opened the door wider and motioned for Hinata's teammates to enter.

"Thanks for the offer, but we're in a bit of a rush," Kiba stated abruptly and looked over the blonde to search for the Hyuuga heiress, "Hinata, we have a mission."

She walked out from behind Juugo. "A mission?" she queried over Juugo's shoulder from when she stood behind him. "Can it wait? Is it important?"

Her question made both her teammates raise curious eyebrows. "It's not like you to try and get out of a mission," Shino added.

"N-no." She waved her hands defensively. "Juugo and I were just making plans for something."

"That can wait. The Hokage wants us in her office." Kiba grabbed her wrist and dragged her out. "Sorry Juugo, you can have her back when we're done, but we're in a rush right now."

Hinata gave the blonde an apologetic smile as she was unsympathetically dragged away.

"It's fine, we'll talk when you return," Juugo reassured her as Kiba pulled her along, followed by Shino and Akamaru.

The group made it a fair ways out of the area of Juugo's residence before Kiba let go of Hinata's wrist. They sped up their pace.

"What's going on?" she asked as they leapt from rooftop to rooftop.

"There was an incident," Shino vaguely informed.

"Incident?"

"Yea, apparently we had some intruder and something was stolen," the dog ninja answered with a smile, "I'm guessing a track and retrieval mission."

Hinata nodded slowly, letting his words sink in. "That makes sense."

"Of course it does!" Kiba chuckled, "we are the best team for these sorts of missions anyway."

"We should hurry, the intruder already has a head start," Shino stated as he pulled ahead of them.

Hinata and Kiba nodded to each other and increased their pace until they reached the Hokage tower. Inside the office, Tsunade paced and Shizune stood by one of the large windows.

"Good, you're here," Tsunade halted and turned to the three, "one of our scrolls holding forbidden jutsu has been stolen, and I need you three to retrieve it before the intruder uses it."

"Forbidden jutsu?" Shino quirked an eyebrow, "that's not good."

"No kidding, bug boy," Kiba retorted.

Hinata chose to ignore her teammates in favour of addressing the village's Hokage directly, "will it be just the three of us?"

"Kurenai is still on leave and I was going to assign a Jounin leader but instead I'll send another team to back you up," the blonde women replied.

"Which team will it be?" Kiba asked inquisitively.

"Team Kakashi." She paused for a moment as if thinking. "Well, almost all of team Kakashi. Sai is away on an ANBU mission, so it'll only be Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura."

Hinata stiffened at the mention of the energetic blonde's name.

"Where are they?" Kiba looked around the room.

"Sakura is tending to a few of those injured in the intrusion, so they'll leave after you do." Tsunade sighed tiredly. "They'll come as a sort of backup brigade."

"So… shall we leave then?" Shino offered.

"Not yet." Tsunade dropped a dark blue piece of cloth on her desk, "in the fight, Izumo managed to cut away a part of the intruder's cloak… Kiba." She held it up for the Inuzuka.

"On it." he grabbed the material and brought it up to his nose before offering it to Akamaru. "I've got the scent. We can still catch him before he gets too far."

"Be careful, we don't know where he's from, who sent him, or what his motive is." The Hokage laced her fingers together and placed them under her chin as she sat down. "The scroll is important, but if the situation proves too dangerous, then I want you to fall back and wait for team Kakashi to catch up."

"Understood," Shino responded while Kiba and Hinata nodded in understanding.

"You're dismissed then."

Kiba grinned, Akamaru barked excitedly, Shino smirked under his collar, and Hinata chewed her bottom lip. In an instant they all disappeared out of one of the Hokage's large windows.

Running fast, they hopped off rooftops to trees as they neared the main gates. Kiba howled enthusiastically, "we haven't had a good mission in awhile!"

"I'd have to agree," Shino remarked.

Hinata nodded timidly. She didn't want this mission. She had her own to fulfill.

* * *

He felt empty, like something had been callously ripped out of him.

Sasuke sat atop a thick branch, a kunai in hand and repeatedly stabbing at the tree's thick, brown bark. In a sense, he had always felt empty. Ever since the massacre of his clan, he had nothing left to fill the void… at least that _was _the case, until Hinata entered his life. But then again, she left… and then she left again.

Now, somehow, she felt further out of reach than ever before.

* * *

The morning light glowed warmly. Hinata splashed the handful of stream water over her pale face. They had travelled through the entire night and exhaustion was starting to creep over her. This break was thoroughly needed and well deserved.

While the Hyuuga heiress washed her face and Akamaru replenished his liquids, Shino and Kiba sent each other worried glances. They had left fire country hours ago and were now in between borders. If they continued to press on, then they'd enter earth country. Their nation and that nation were not hostile towards each other, but they would still not likely take the intrusion of foreign shinobi lightly. It was a necessity to tread carefully from here on out, because what lay after earth country was far more dangerous.

Shino paced over to Kiba and took a seat on the half-protruding rock out of the ground. "Where is he?"

Kiba released a deep sigh, sniffed the air, and then spoke, "my guess… just entered earth country."

"Alright." Shino nodded and watched Hinata before turning back to his other teammate. "What do you think?"

"We might have to turn around." The Inuzuka pinched the bridge of his nose tiredly. "I think he's heading for lightning country."

"If he enters lightning country, then we leave." Shino stood up and smoothed his pants. "This might be a trap," he warned.

"You think?" Kiba smirked and stood up as well. "Can you send a message back?"

"Let team Kakashi know where we are?"

"Yea, they might have the nin dogs to track us but let's make sure backup does come," Kiba explained with weak smile as he watched Hinata finish up and walk over to the pair.

"Ready?" she asked sweetly.

"Almost," the bug user stated as a black swarm flowed from his sleeves and soon disappeared into the distance, "done."

With that, they were off and bounding through the high forest tops.

* * *

The sun hadn't risen all that long ago, but that didn't matter to the Uchiha.

Sasuke walked into a rundown restaurant, empty of patrons. The owner, a large, burly, middle aged man eyed him suspiciously and Sasuke merely glared back with his enigmatic, onyx orbs. He dropped down on a stool at the bar, directly across from where the other stood.

"I need a drink," Sasuke explained icily.

"Sorry, I don't serve to under-aged customers, and it's a little early for drinks. How about some breakfast?" the man asked politely and turned to put a few glasses away.

"I said, I. Need. A. drink," Sasuke seethed and his Sharingan involuntarily activated.

The owner shuddered when his eyes met Sasuke's. With the subtle sound of a katana clanking against the side of the bar table, the man's eyes widened and he scurried to retrieve a small cup and a bottle of sake.

* * *

"Down there." Hinata pointed and all three jumped off the tree and skidded to a stop of the dirt floor.

Akamaru and Kiba went about sniffing the area, while Hinata and Shino observed the tracks.

After their morning break, they had continued to travel without stop. It was late in the afternoon and nightfall would soon come to blanket earth country in darkness.

"He's not even trying to hide his tracks." Hinata crouched down to the blatant footsteps. That comment resulted in an exchange of looks between her teammates, which she didn't miss. "H-how far are we from lightning country?" she asked.

"Maybe another hour to the border," Kiba responded with a look of apprehension, "do you want to turn around?"

"Has he reached the border yet?" she asked.

"He's about half an hour ahead of us," Shino stated in an apathetic tone.

"We can still catch him if we hurry." Hinata stood up and brushed some of the dirt off her pants. "I'll watch for potential ambushes and if he crosses the border, then we can head back and let team Kakashi deal with him."

"Are you sure?" Kiba asked softly.

"Yea." She nodded affirmatively, a strong resolve glinting in her pale eyes. "Let's go," she instructed. Hinata activated her Byakugan and jumped up into the trees, followed by her teammates. _The sooner this mission is completed, the sooner I can find Sasuke_…

* * *

He had drunk his entire morning and afternoon away. When Sasuke arrived at the restaurant, it was empty, but now in the early evening, patrons were starting to file in and take their seats.

Sasuke gulped down the last of his second, fourth, fifth?… he had lost count of how many bottles of sake he had gone through. However many bottles it was, it was enough and he was fresh out of money. Dropping the last of the money he had earned completing private missions, he kicked out his stool and stood to exit the restaurant without so much as a stumble or wobble in his step. He handled alcohol well, but still enjoyed the sedative effect that loosened his tension.

After walking over the door's threshold, Sasuke turned and looked to the sun's receding light. He was in for another lonely night.

As he started his walk out of the desolate village, a hawk's scream caught his attention. There, flying high above his head was a black hawk with a golden underbelly. It circled and continued its bird call.

* * *

"Time to head back!" Kiba shouted to his teammates. They all stopped and regrouped on the dirt floor.

"He's crossed the border?" Shino asked stoically.

"Yea." Kiba absently scratched Akamaru behind the dog's ears. "We should turn back. We can't risk Hinata's safety."

"Agreed, I'll send my bugs to team Kakashi and let them know we're heading back." The Aburame summoned the miniscule black lives residing in his body and instructed them. The black swarm vibrated in the sky and then flew off.

"Are you alright Hinata?" Kiba placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a soft squeeze.

"Y-yea," she stuttered and played with the hem of her sweater. Even if she claimed to be fine, Kiba knew better. He knew that she was inwardly beating herself, because they'd have to abandon the mission because of her.

"Okay, let's go."

The team of leaf ninja turned back in the direction they had come and started their journey back, they'd been travelling for nearly a day and would have to set up camp soon.

When they fell into their steady pace, Hinata activated her Byakugan. The squad ran fluidly together, from tree branch to tree branch, but it wasn't long until their synched movements were abruptly halted.

"Ambush," Hinata said quietly, just loud enough for her teammates to hear. She jumped down to the floor and scanned the area with her bloodline limit. "There are ten of them."

"Are you serious?" Kiba huffed and got into a fighting stance by the Hyuuga heiress, Shino and Akamaru joined as well.

"Were they there when we passed this area earlier?" Shino asked, a slightl waver in his voice indicated his agitation.

"N-no." She shook her head. "I checked and it was clear."

Their feet shifted and team Kurenai formed a circle, backs to each other. Kiba fed Akamaru a pill and the giant dog morphed into a Kiba double, then he took a pill for himself. Ruffles of movement through the forest left the leaf shinobi wary and on alert, and soon after, ten cloud ninja surrounded the small group.

Kiba growled and barred his teeth with Akamaru. Hissing sounds of Shino's bugs getting exciting sent a cold chill down Hinata's spine as her Byakugan enhanced, taking in the sight of the cloud ninja.

A malice cackle drew their attention to an additional guest to the affair. His dark cloak dropped to the ground and he tilted his head at the Hyuuga. He had black hair with a subtle streak of silver down one side and tanned skin. His physique left more to be desired, it was lanky, but tall.

"My, aren't you a pretty little thing?" He grinned at her. "And those eyes. I've heard descriptions, but never would I have been able to imagine this beautiful a spectacle."

"Stay away from her!" Kiba snarled and pulled Hinata behind him.

"Playing the hero?" the Konoha intruder raised his brows, "surely you can't possibly think you four can defeat eleven."

Shino's smooth and collected demeanour ignored the jab and probed for an answer instead. "How did you hide your presence from her Byakugan when we passed the area earlier?"

"Ah, so I see now." The cloud nin smiled. "You're the smart one, she's the pretty one, and he is the rash one." He motioned between Kiba and the Kiba double.

"Answer the question," Kiba interrupted angrily.

"Well, rumour has it, the Byakugan can see a distance of about 50 metres but some have advanced that to an astounding 500 metres." He stepped forward and grinned as Kiba pushed Hinata further back. "You see, I went ahead and had my men stay 500 metres away from the path until I gave them the signal which came when you turned around. Clever ambush if I do say so… it's like hitting two birds with one stone," he mocked, pulling out a scroll and twirled it in his hand, "we get the Byakugan and a scroll of your forbidden jutsu."

"You're so cocky!" Kiba snapped, "we have backup coming, you know?!"

"Is that so? Then let's get started, shall we?"

Identical hands seals were made by the eleven cloud ninja and then the area was engulfed in a thick fog.

Kiba's nose twitched and then he smirked. Shino's lips held a slight upturn. Hinata's eyes scanned the surroundings and picked out the chakra systems of each individual shinobi.

"We're good to go?" Kiba asked as he and Akamaru crouched down to prepare a soon to be launched attack.

"Yes," Shino replied and dispersed his bugs to sense the locations of the enemies.

"Y-yea," Hinata located the closest body to hers and got into her gentle fist stance.

As if telepathically linked, all members of team Kurenai leapt into the fray simultaneously. The thick fog did nothing to dissuade the leaf ninja.

Kiba sniffed the air and howled when he picked up the scent closest to him. A fisted hand was thrown out but easily blocked by a forearm. Kiba exchanged jabs with his combatant while Akamaru took up battle with another.

A few hisses of his bugs and Shino dropped into a crouch to dodge two shuriken stars. A small swarm behind him encased another cloud ninja before he could reach the bug host. They drained the ninja of his chakra. Shino smiled, _one down_. Two more cloud ninja came and circled Shino. His bugs instantly drew together and swarmed the three.

A bead of sweat trickled down Hinata's temple. So far, from what she could tell, Shino had taken out one and now was battling three, then Kiba and Akamaru were fending off four, which left her with three. They all lunged for her at once. She threw her chakra enhanced hand out and managed to land a hit in the upper arm of one of three… or so she thought she did. Her eyes widened as she watched him flip backward and away from her while a kunai flew towards her front and two came from behind. She bent backward and avoided the first kunai and then flipped sideways to avoid the last two.

A punch blasted through the fog as she reclaimed her balance. It hit her gut and she bent over and stumbled a bit. Willing the pain away, she got back up and into her stance. Two cloud ninja came at her and she did her best to dodge and counter, but came up short. They were good, probably jounin level if she had to guess.

As they continued their fight, Hinata was forced back. She bit her lip hard when she caught sight of the man appear behind her. Her mind scrambled for an escape route but found none. Before she knew it, a strong arm was wrung around her neck and a kunai held to her throat.

"Heh, now watch the fun start," the deep voice taunted into her ear. She shivered when the kunai left her throat and drew across her cheek in a slow, seamless motion. Blood trickled out and she winced.

A whistle was blown and then a handful of bead sized balls were thrown to the ground. They exploded with a small grumble and then noxious gases seeped into the white fog. Hinata winced under the hold at the pungent smell and then her mind went to Kiba. _They had this planned all along_, her mind panicked.

She watched with her Byakugan as Kiba and Akamaru double over from repulsive odour. With their enhanced smell, they couldn't handle it. She could barely handle it… To her utter horror, the four cloud ninja neared and proceeded to beat him. Tears seeped down her cheeks as Kiba's cries sounded. She pulled and scratched at the arm around her neck. When it didn't release her, she drew chakra to her hands… or more accurately, she tried.

Her chakra control had become sloppy and her vision blurry, "wh-what?"

"Finally feeling the effects of the sedative?" the voice said as a finger smeared the blood path streaming down her cheek.

"N-no!" she fought against his hold. They had all of this planned out and it frightened her. The stolen scroll, the ambush, the sedative, and they even had a way to counter Kiba. Only Shino was left and from what she could tell, things weren't going too well.

Shino commanded his swarms of bugs expertly. The swarms shot, whizzed, and manoeuvred as the cloud shinobi dodged with long leaps. At the cue of the whistle, all three did identical hand seals and halted to a stop. The swarms instantly engulfed the figures. Shino's eyes widened under his black glasses as clicks of electricity swam into his ears. He heard the soft cries of his bugs as they were scorched by the lightning passing through the cloud ninjas' bodies. They grinned maliciously when the burnt bugs, now dust, fell away from their bodies. A heavy hit to the back of Shino's neck left him unconscious and on the ground, not far from an also unconscious Kiba and Akamaru.

Hinata's tears had ceased a while ago when the full effect of the drug had overcome her body. She was a limp form in the arms of the cloud ninja.

"Let's go," the leader ordered.

"We should finish them off first," another interrupted.

"Normally we would, but they have backup coming." He turned to the direction of their village, "we have the girl so we head out. Now."

The rest nodded their understanding, and then they vanished into the night, leaving the leaf ninja to wake up without their precious Hyuuga heiress

* * *

**A/N:** Just as I said about being determined to finish this adventure, I present chapter 25. There's a discrepancy between the timeline for Hinata and for Sasuke. It'll make sense in a couple chapters, but just to let you know, what's happening to Hinata isn't going on at the same time Sasuke is chugging the sake. I'm setting up for an exciting third and final arc. Um, about 5-6 chapters to go! Woot!

Thanks for reading and reviewing. See you all in a few days to a week!


	26. Assemble

**CHAPTER 26: Assemble**

The sweet silence of night engulfed their senses as they jumped from tree to tree in a smooth and solid motion that could only be attributed to that of elite ninja. Sakura grappled onto a thick branch with her gloved hand and forced her body to swing out from under before releasing and being sent up to land on another a distance down the way. She looked around to see Naruto and Kakashi just slightly ahead of her and she couldn't resist the empty feeling that swelled within her. These two had been her teammates for so many years that they had become family. After Sasuke's departure, she had met and learned how to accept Sai into her life, and as a member of team Kakashi. All of that made Sai's latest departure especially hard for the pink haired medic. The artist was officially initiated as an ANBU serving under the Hokage, and team 7 were on the verge of receiving another new member. She only wished Sasuke would return to fill the void.

"Look!" Naruto stopped on the branch, in an animalistic crouched position.

They all halted at their respective places as a black swarm of bugs flew to a stop and formed into an intricate message.

"Cloud…" Sakura whispered under her breath.

"We should hurry." Kakashi motioned for the bugs to disperse. "If team Kurenai is turning around, then it's up to us."

"Mm." Sakura nodded and her knees bent in preparation to leap off.

"Uhh…" Naruto's head tilted, "how come to bugs aren't leaving?"

Kakashi and Sakura turned to the direction of the bugs. They flew in an odd circular pattern with no apparent destination.

"Don't they usually go back to Shino after they deliver their message?" the Kyuubi vessel continued.

"Usually," Sakura answered, "unless Shino's…"

Kakashi's one visible eye widened. "Let's move!" He ordered before disappearing with one pump of his legs.

His students followed closely behind him, appearing and vanishing with urgent speed. Something was wrong and they all knew it without discussing the situation with each other. In the distance, the sun was beginning to rise on the horizon. Cerulean blue eyes shifted to the morning light and then his teeth clenched.

"We need to move faster!" he declared, all thoughts consumed by a certain indigo-haired kunoichi and her well-being, "if something's happened to-"

"We're moving as fast as we can, Naruto," Sakura shot back, "we're all worried about them, not just you."

The blonde's head dropped down, "sorry… it's just…" he paused, "Hinata and I have some unresolved business."

Sakura smiled solemnly and leapt to the branch closer to her blonde companion. "You really care about her, don't you?"

"Heh, yea." A sad smile broke over his fox-like features. "I never really noticed her before, but after our date… well, I can't stop thinking about her and just how beautiful a person she is."

"Don't worry, I'm sure she's fine." Sakura smiled brilliantly at him.

"You're probably right, thanks Sakura."

"I think you might have spoken too soon," Kakashi interrupted, a hand pointed forward at an empty patch of scorched forest.

"That's Shino." Sakura's emerald eyes widened in disbelief. "And Kiba!"

With a series of leaps, team Kakashi was out of the trees and sprinting on the forest floor. Their legs pumped with chakra laden steps and their ninja sandals digging into the Earth's surface, leaving evident imprints. Upon reaching the patch, they fell to the sides of their fallen comrades, Kakashi checking on the bug user and Sakura searching the Inuzuka and his dog nin.

"Where's Hinata?!" Naruto sprinted around the patch, his blue eyes darting in all directions. "I can't find her!"

Sakura glanced at the surrounding areas for the Hyuuga heiress briefly before channelling healing chakra into her hands and bringing them to Kiba's broken ribs. "Kakashi?" She looked to the team leader and her long time sensei for instruction.

The silver-haired man positioned the unconscious Shino over his back after he summoned his pack of nin dogs, "we need to take them back."

"Alright," Sakura nodded affirmatively as one of Kakashi's dogs knelt down beside Kiba. She finished the basic healing before positioning the chuunin onto the dog securely, and then she helped Akamaru onto another.

"She's not here," Naruto informed as he appeared from the forest. His now red eyes locked onto the scene. "What are you doing?"

"We need to take them back," Kakashi answered.

"What about Hinata?" Naruto snarled, "we have to go after her! We can't just let them take her away!"

"Naruto, we can't leave two incapacitated leaf ninja to go running into something we know nothing of," their team leader tried to reason with the boisterous blonde, "we don't know where they took her, or who took her, or if anyone took her at all."

"Are you fucking with me?! You think she left at her own will and hurt her teammates in the process?!"

"No, I'm suggesting we take care of her teammates for the time being and wait for further instruction from the Hokage." Kakashi looked seriously into his student's eyes.

"He's right Naruto," Sakura joined, "Hinata would want her teammates taken care of, when they're awake they can tell us what happened."

Naruto teeth gritted and his hand clenched, a small tremor rippling through his body had his teammates sharing nervous glances. "Alright, but once we get back I'm leaving to search for her."

"Fair enough," Kakashi relented, "let's hurry."

"Yea," they said in unison and departed.

* * *

The constant sound of water dripping awoke her from her drug induced slumber. She hissed at the pain overwhelming her body and drew in a breath of the musky air. It raced down her oesophagus and burned, causing her to cough uncontrollably until her eyes watered with tears. Once she was done coughing, she tried stretching out her sore limbs, but it proved difficult with the restraints. She let her unshed tears fall as the full realization of the situation hit her. A soft whimper escaped her mouth as she struggled against the restraints holding her hands behind her back and against a wall.

Her pearly lavender eyes shone under the little light that seeped into the dark room through the small window high on the wall. She searched frantically, activating her Byakugan she found a few sheets and blankets dropped in one corner. The door opposite her appeared to be assembled from heavy steel with a small peephole located at eye level or where eye level would be expected to be.

Sounds of feet shuffling caught her attention and her head whipped in various directions in an attempt to hone in on the sound. Her Byakugan eyes pierced through the wall to find a large figure nearing her door. Soon after, the door handle turned and the hinges creaked as the heavy steel swung open to reveal a burly cloud shinobi. Heavy footsteps brought him closer to her and she squirmed and pushed off with her legs, pressing against the wall to increase the narrowing distance between them.

An arm came out a caressed her cheek, his thumb rubbing her temple. Hinata mentally writhed, willing the dirt-crusted hands to stay away from her. "So that is the Byakugan." An index finger came up to the protruding veins. Hinata winced, her eyes sealed shut as her bloodline limit receded and fearful tears edged out the corners. "Now, why did you do that?" he questioned, pinching the skin of her temple lightly. "I wasn't done admiring this all-seeing technique of yours."

Hinata shuddered under his dirty touch and recoiled, attempting to pull her face away from his hand. "Pl-please let m-me go," she pleaded quietly. Her entire being trembled with absolute dread.

"You don't honestly think you're getting away that easily do you?" He grinned maliciously. "Just be glad our top medic is away on a mission." A finger graced over her eyelid as he spoke, "you'd have lost those beautiful eyes of yours already."

"D-don't touch me!" She pulled on the restraints, pooling her chakra to her hands, but her eyes snapped open when nothing happened.

"Oh yea." The man pulled out a syringe and pulled the cap off. "This formula was made especially for you, precious." He waved the needle before unzipping her sweater and pulling it down to gain access to her upper arm. "It dissolves the chakra flowing through your body, but still allows you to activate your bloodline."

"N-no!" Hinata fought to pull away as the pointed needle neared her arm.

"Stop struggling, or it's going to hurt more." He grabbed her arm in an iron grip and plunged syringe in, eliciting a pained yelp from the Hyuuga heiress. "See, now it's going to bruise."

When the contents were drained into her petite body, he finally let her go and capped the needle before he inserted it into a pocket of his ninja vest. The man got up to leave as Hinata doubled over and sobbed into the filthy floor, the chains holding her hands captive clanked with every heaved breath. "Th-they'll c-come for me," she murmured between sobs, "_he'll_ come for me."

* * *

A day and a half of travelling finally brought the prominent Konoha gates into view as team 7 neared. Kiba and Akamaru travelled on the support of Kakashi's nin dogs while Shino had regain consciousness and was able to move by his own will.

Finally making it to the village's entrance, they all leapt off the trees and landed gracefully on the ground.

"What happened?" Izumo scurried out of the guard post with Kotetsu following behind him.

"They were attacked," Sakura answered through tired breaths, "we need to see Tsunade, please take them to the hospital."

"Okay." Kotetsu came out to support Shino as Izumo helped Kiba.

"What's going on?" a platinum blonde kunoichi asked, her bright, blue eyes lighting up at the sight before her. "Shikamaru, Chouji! Help them."

Team Asuma quickly fell alongside the gate guards. "Where's Hinata?" Chouji's eyes searched amongst the group.

"That's what we need to talk to Tsunade about," Naruto growled out the answer, "let's go."

"Take care of them." Sakura turned to her long time friend and gave her a solemn look before disappearing with her teammates in the direction of the Hokage tower.

* * *

The blonde-haired Hokage sat at her desk when a strong draft whipped her hair up, "how did it go?" she asked without looking up from her piles of papers.

Naruto opened his mouth to speak, but was stopped by a pleading glance from Sakura.

"According to Shino." Kakashi paused briefly, "it was an ambush by Cloud… we believe that Hinata has been kidnapped."

"Is that so." Tsunade furrowed her brows and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I was careless again…"

"You can't blame yourself," Sakura started, but frowned when Naruto's body stiffened, "you took every precaution to protect her. It was her request to remain on active duty knowing the risks. So please don't blame yourself Tsunade, we'll get her back."

The Hokage sighed, but said nothing as her eyes wandered the room thoughtfully.

"We're waiting for your instructions," Naruto cut into the silence.

"We have some time, they won't harm her until they've completely investigated the Byakugan." A red nail was brought up to the blonde's lips as she continued, "Naruto, Sakura, are you two up for a reconnaissance mission?"

"Yes, Tsunade," Sakura replied respectfully.

"Recon?!" the blonde fox boy bellowed, "we need to get her back, what good is a recon mission?!"

"I'd like to send in an ANBU squad but at the sake of not causing a war, we need a subtle infiltration." Her brown eyes shifted between Kakashi's students. "You will enter and gather as much information as you can and an ANBU squad will be stationed close by for when you've located Hinata."

"Will it be just the two of us?" Sakura inquired.

"Yes, the smaller the group, the more swiftly you can move without detection." She stopped and pulled a drawer open. "Take this." She held out a forehead protector engraved with the Cloud emblem.

"We'll disguise as Cloud nin?" Naruto took the item from the Hokage's hand.

"Yes, that was the only one picked up by team Gai six months ago so you'll need to find a way to secure another one to ensure your identity."

"Takahashi Ryu," Naruto read aloud as he ran a finger over the name engraved behind the plate, "I'm Takahashi Ryu."

"Alright, you two will enter Cloud posed as citizens of the village," she continued to chew pensively on her nail, "I would guess that word of the captured Byakugan would be widespread, your mission is to locate Hyuuga Hinata and secure her safety… then locate our stolen scroll. Dress appropriately."

"Understood," they both said simultaneously.

"You depart this afternoon."

* * *

After team Asuma dropped Shino and Kiba off at the hospital and received the full account of what had happened, they left and headed to Chouji's favourite barbeque restaurant. A sombre aura hung over them. As ninja, it was expected that they would lose those they loved or their own lives at some point. They had learned firsthand what it felt like to lose someone they held so dear. It was the reason Shikamaru had taken up smoking. But even so, with that known knowledge of the risks involved in their lifestyle, no one ever expected to lose a member of the rookie 9. In the years since graduating the academy, they had been on many missions, and some had come close to dying, but it never happened. To them, the rookie 9 was near invincible.

"I just…" Ino's eyes were locked on the grill on the table. The normally vibrant bright blue colour was now dull. "I can't believe it."

"Yea, I know what you mean," Chouji added, equally bewildered.

A tall man walked up to the table of solemn ninja, "can I take your orders?"

"Just this," Shikamaru answered for his stunned teammates, pointing to various items on the menu.

"Alright, I'll-" the tall, blonde man was interrupted by a hard slam on the table.

"Damn!" Ino's fist connected on with the wooden surface. "Hinata's always been there, I can't imagine what life would be like without her!"

A heavy arm snaked around the kunoichi as tears welled up in her blue eyes. "It's okay, I'm sure they'll bring her back," Chouji comforted.

"What?" the deep voice of the restaurant's staff rumbled, "where is Hinata? What happened to her?" The patrons at the table winced as the blonde's fist collided with the table, causing a crack to etch its way across the surface. "Tell me what happened to her!"

Ino looked anxiously to her teammates for support, the arm around her tightened and Shikamaru's eyes dropped in a sad effect. "She was taken by Cloud," the platinum blonde answered.

Juugo's eyes widened and he felt his world crumble. "No…"

Team Asuma looked between the man and each other, wondering what ties this seemingly normal man had to the Hyuuga heiress.

"Tsunade will likely send a team to save her," Shikamaru informed, "team Kakashi is meeting with her right now."

The man's teeth clenched and his hands fisted before the apron wrapped around his body was ripped off as he stormed out of the restaurant. The blonde, who had lived the last six months as a normal citizen, was ready to throw it all away to save one of the two people he held dear to his heart. Breaking his sprint, Juugo called upon the skills from his ninja life and leapt up onto the rooftops. Avoiding the crowded streets brought the Hokage tower so much closer.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" a guard chased after the infuriated blonde as he ploughed through the halls on his way to the Hokage's office. A hand grasped onto his wrist and then was released when the owner of said hand was thrown into a wall without a second's hesitation.

"Stop!" Two masked ANBU appeared before Juugo, their blades drawn. The blonde growled and one ANBU lunged forward, Juugo ducked with speed unexpected from a man of his physique and a fisted hand was thrown into the ANBU's chest, shattering his ribs and compressing his chest. The other ANBU was met with a similar fate as a hardened shin crashed into his side.

Juugo stepped over the limp bodies which, at no surprise to him and his refined skills, disappeared in two puffs of smoke. He continued his solid pace with barely contained rage, half expecting more guards to jump him, but when they didn't come he shrugged the thought off and kicked the Hokage's office door open.

Wide emerald and cerulean eyes locked onto his seething face. The Hokage sat with hands interlaced under her chin while a silver haired jounin leaned on the edge of the window.

"Juugo." Sakura's face softened. "You heard?"

"How are you planning to get her back?" He brushed past the two and placed both hands on the Hokage's desk. "I want to come."

"Naruto and Sakura will be leaving this afternoon for a recon mission with an ANBU squad shadowing from a distance." Tsunade let her gaze land on Juugo's eyes. "I can't send you on the mission, you are not listed as a leaf ninja… though that display out there was impressive, I wonder what you've been hiding from me."

"That doesn't matter," Juugo snapped, "send me on the mission, I'm more than qualified."

She stood up and met him at eye level. "You are a citizen and therefore forbidden from partaking in missions."

"Either you officially assign me as a member of this mission or I will partake at my own accord."

"If you do so then your status as a Konoha citizen will be revoked."

"So be it, but." The tall blonde leaned forward, speaking with poise and confidence, "I'd be more of an asset to this mission than a citizen to this village. You'd be getting ahead of yourself if you forbade me from this without knowing my true abilities."

"Brute force won't help on a recon mission."

"I never said anything about brute force."

"Whoa!" Kakashi jumped away from the window ledge as a few squirrels scurried over his shoes and a flock of birds chirped and sang before occupying spots on the ledge and around the Hokage's office. Naruto and Sakura took a step back, their eyes shooting to the various perches the many birds saw fit to occupy.

"What better way to infiltrate and pull off a recon mission than to send animals in?" Juugo narrowed his eyes at the village's leader.

Tsunade's right eye twitched as a pigeon landed atop her head, and with a defeated sigh she swatted the bird away before speaking, "fine, I see your point…" She massaged her temples. "Juugo, you are assigned to this mission on temporary ninja status. You will listen to the instruction of…" her eyes snapped open and darted between Naruto and Sakura, she grimaced, "Sakura… Sakura is in charge."

"Sakura?" Naruto eyed his teammate with slight distaste, "what about me?"

"You're genin still," Sakura retorted with a smug smirk.

Tsunade sighed, "go prepare, I expect you to leave in a few hours." They all nodded in understanding before exiting the room. "I need a drink…"

* * *

The three assigned to the 'Hyuuga Hinata rescue' mission met up a few hours later at the front gates of Konoha. Their usually bright clothes were discarded in favour of outfits varying in different shades of grey to black.

Naruto sported black pants that were pushed into the high tops of his matching open toe ninja sandals. On top he wore a high collared, long sleeved, charcoal shirt, an ash grey vest thrown over top. His normal beige weapons pouch sat securely at the back of his waist while a shuriken holster was strapped around his thigh. His bright blonde hair was covered fully by a light grey bandana under the cloud forehead protector. It was a stark contrast to his bright orange attire.

Sakura gave him a weak smile. She matched her mission husband with a black, three quarters length shirt under a light charcoal colour vest. Below, she was decked in black tights that reached above her knees. Resting loosely on top of her shorts was a light grey medic apron. Her feet were dressed in knee high black boots. Her vivacious pink her was left down in all its glory, but was missing the leaf forehead protector that indicated her loyalty.

The last of the three-man cell, Juugo, was dressed simply. He wore charcoal grey pants that reached his mid shins. On top was a simple long sleeved black shirt. A pair of dark sandals and a pastel grey cloak were the last items to finish his outfit. He wore no weapons pouch or shuriken holster.

"Ready to go?" Sakura asked the two blonde males.

"Yea!" Naruto replied enthusiastically, "let's get Hinata back!"

"One second." Juugo walked out past the large gates, his head inclined to the clear sky. "I need to do something before we go."

"What do you mean you '_need to do something_'?!" Naruto chased after the taller blonde. "We have to leave!"

"We will, just after I do one last thing," he said in a calm tone.

Sakura walked over to her long time teammate and grasped his hand in hers. "Calm down." She gave his hand a gentle squeeze. Naruto heaved a deep breath and gave her a soft nod. Together they watched Juugo pull out a small scroll. He unrolled it and wrote a few lines before rolling it back up. In a matter of seconds, a hawk swooped down and landed on a large boulder a few feet away. They gazed on attentively as the man tied the message to the hawk's leg. When he was finished, it spread its black feathered wings and lifted off the boulder, ascending into the sky. Sakura was mesmerized by the bird of prey's graceful movements and its brilliant black wings and golden underbelly.

* * *

**A/N:** Okay, this chapter took a little bit longer than I thought... but here it is! Team 'Rescue Hinata' is assembled. Well, almost assembled. I feel bad for Naruto, my "insert guy" but it can't be helped. Even though it's not going as I planned, I still hope to get this fic done soon. The name Takahashi Ryu is courtesy of **Nibinlotwen**. Thanks for reading and reviewing everyone! and HAPPY NEW YEAR!


	27. Precious

**CHAPTER 27: Precious**

Standing outside the restaurant, Sasuke peered upwards at the bird circling in the sky. He did the required hand seals before forming his thumb and index into a circle and bringing it up to his mouth. Heaving in a breath, he released it into his hand, creating streams of orange flames, gliding up with ferocity of a wild beast.

The bird stopped its circles and screamed, dodging the heat from the flames. The flames weren't aimed to injure, merely utilized as a means to get the bird's attention, seeing as it wasn't coming down. However, once the blaze died, the hawk swooped down like a bird of prey on the hunt. It landed with precision on Sasuke's shoulder, causing him to scowl as the talons grasped onto his flesh, not enough to damage, but enough to hurt.

Sasuke greeted the animal with a pet of its golden belly before catching sight of the note tied to its leg. He narrowed his eyes on it pensively, knowing it was a message from Juugo. Since the separation, he had only received one note from the man, a note asking him to return to Konoha. If Hinata was happy with Naruto, he saw no use in returning. Nonetheless, he removed the note and carefully unrolled it, laying his deep eyes on the neatly printed characters.

_Hinata is in danger. I am heading to Kumogakure.  
- Juugo_

He didn't have anyone in his life anymore, not even Hinata, but the knowledge transcribed on the flimsy paper was enough to cause an ache in his chest. Regardless of whether Hinata chose him or not… Sasuke launched himself forward, breaking into a sprint up the path he had entered the village on. Any sedative effect from the alcohol was gone and his eyes morphed into the familiar red of a Sharingan wielder. The world around him was obliterated, leaving nothing but the foggy image of a hurt, damaged, abused Hyuuga Hinata.

Once he was out of the village, he leapt up to the tree branches before he sped up his pace, moving from one tree to the next. As far as the raven-haired ninja was concerned, it was all up to him to save his precious Hyuuga. If Juugo was coming from Konoha, it meant that Sasuke was closer to Kumo than the blonde, so he made to move especially fast.

* * *

Three days captive and Hinata could feel her resolve start to disintegrate. She was definitely not in a good frame of mind before the capture, her mind only on finding Sasuke, it only worsened in these circumstances.

Hidden under the ragged blanket, she turned herself over and fluttered her eyes open to see the door creak open. A slender man walked through, one different from the other that had been the one to give her the chakra dispersing shots. He wore thick glasses and no ninja apparel. Adorning his body was simple, white clothing.

"My, my," he praised, shuffling on his feet and coming to kneel down in front of her, "aren't you quite the specimen?"

"D-don't…" she whimpered and recoiled in the blanket, pushing herself further against the wall to gain distance between them. "Don't touch me…"

The man's lips curled into a sympathetic smile, "sorry, but to perform the surgery properly, I need to get a good look at those eyes."

"No…" Tears brimmed at the corner of her eyes, "pl-please don't."

A sob left her when she felt his cold fingers touch her temple, and there was a surge of chakra. She screamed and threw her head back, crashing into the ground beneath her. It didn't hurt as much as the man's touch, which caused the remaining, miniscule amount of chakra flowing around her eyes to twist and churn until she felt the familiar feeling of her bloodline activating.

"Perfect," uttered the monotone voice of the man, "exactly as I expect from the Hyuuga heiress."

Then his finger fell away and the chakra dispersed itself, allowing her escape from the unwilling activation of her Byakugan. She gasped a quick breath of the musky air, her tears falling freely. The man gripped onto the hem of her blanket and pulled it down to take a look at the rest of her figure, mentally deciphering how well she would take the oncoming ordeal.

"You don't need these," he grabbed at the restraints on her wrists, "you can't do anything anyway." So, he picked out the specific key on his ring and delicately unlocked the restraints with a click before completely removing them. Then, the blanket was brought back up and tucked around the quivering girl. "Get some rest, you'll need it if you want to survive the procedure tomorrow." She pulled away from him and turned her head to ignore him, causing him to smirk. "I only intend to take those eyes of yours. I'm no barbarian." With that said, he stood to his feet and made his way to the exit with calm steps.

As far as she was concerned, his words were untruths dipped in a transparent layer of empathy, like he knew or cared for what she was going through. In the end all that mattered was that she would lose her eyes soon, the eyes she was entrusted with as a prominent Hyuuga clan member. Hinata would fail in her duty of protecting the precious Byakugan. Dejected, she curled up into the ragged blanket and let her eyelids drift down. If only there was something she could do… or if only _he_ was here to save her like the last time.

* * *

With the setting of the sun, the three shinobi continued to push forward, legs pumping with each burst of chakra from their agile feet. But with the sporadic crash of tree branches, Sakura winced and withheld comment. Ahead of her and Juugo, Naruto was putting all his energy into his movements. The chakra beneath his feet erratic and tearing off thick chunks of the bark of every branch he stepped off. The medic nin didn't need any special deductive skills to know her friend was in a volatile state, evident by the wooden splinters she actively avoided as they sprayed into her path.

"Naruto." She forced the muscles of her thighs, thrusting forward until she came out beside him. "We've travelled the entire day. Let's rest for a bit."

"No," he growled, looking into concerned emerald eyes, "we don't know what they're doing to her. We keep moving."

The blonde turned back to look ahead, into the dark depths of the forest that would eventually lead them to Kumogakure and Hinata. But before he could leap ahead, a hand latched onto his elbow and yanked him to a halt. Naruto almost lost his balance, but managed to call on his skills and find the ground with his feet, then was followed by Juugo and Sakura.

The taller of the two males looked anything but the person Naruto had grown to know over the last handful of months. Juugo no longer exuded the peaceful aura that resonated and seemed to penetrate every shell of a person, leaving a warm comfort behind.

"She's right." Juugo looked evenly to the Kyuubi vessel with sternness in his eyes. "We'll be useless to Hinata if we cannot do anything to help her."

"And while we're resting here with a nice little fire, we don't know what they're doing to her,"  
he countered, stepping up to Juugo as though the height difference didn't make the rebuttal any less threatening.

Juugo's face appeared to sadden with those words spoken aloud. He turned his gaze away and looked up to the sky, setting sights on the white glitter of stars high above. If it weren't for the apparent contemplative expression on his rugged features, Naruto would have smacked him. It would have been a poor attempt to knock some sense into him, but their present predicament seemed to leave everyone on edge. "Whether it's us or someone else," Juugo started, gaze still inclined towards the darkened sky, "someone will save her. It's better to regain energy and think this through thoroughly before we act impulsively."

Without warning, Naruto's hand shot up and grasped a handful of Juugo's shirt and pulled him down to his level. "Bastard, you're acting like you don't care about her anymore." His normally brilliant, cerulean eyes flashed a bright crimson momentarily as his chest heaved anxious breaths. "We already have a plan from Tsunade, so either we act now or lose Hinata."

"Naruto," Sakura voiced softly and stepped up to the pair, gently placing a hand over his grip on Juugo's shirt. "Let's just a get a bit of sleep," she proposed while her fingers slowly pried his off the material, "we've made good time anyway. So half a night's rest won't do any harm. They probably won't even do anything to her until daylight at the very least."

"Fine," Naruto grumbled and fully released Juugo's shirt before stomping off to a patch of grass and dropping down.

With his bloodline activated, the three tomoe rotated with ferocity as he watched from the high tree, hidden by the ample greenery its braches provided. Deep below him was a ninja cell of three, similar to the one he was a part of in his genin days, full with two males and a female. They were the epitome of carefree times, laughing as they sat propped on large boulders along the sides of the desolate path. Whether they had anything to do with Hinata's kidnapping was irrelevant. All that mattered was that the one girl he had ever revealed his heart to was missing, and those three wore cloud's emblem with pride on their foreheads. It was a pride he was determined to wipe out regardless of his prior ideals about preserving lives of the innocent. Kumo could burn to the ground and as long as Hinata was safe, it wouldn't change anything to the Uchiha.

Drawing his Kusanagi with the echo of the metal leaving its sheath, Sasuke stood from his spot and leapt down into the open spot in front of the three. "Where is Hyuuga Hinata?"

* * *

The ease of a quiet night draped over them, still hours away from the sunrise, but it was better this way. Rolling off the dirt ground, Juugo stood up onto his long legs and looked up to the glittering sky, its silver stars shining down on the world. They looked so tranquil, nothing like how he felt they should be. No, on a night like this they should be mourning the disappearance of a dear friend. But perhaps their happiness was because, from their view up high, they could probably already see Hinata, or at least that was how Juugo reasoned. The fact that the stars were still happy must mean that Hinata was fine. They were sparkling with joy, and the sky was clear, with no sign that it would rain down on them. Indeed, no one was in mourning and it would remain that way.

Heaving a breath of the crisp air, he turned on his feet to look down at his two companions. To him, they were only acquaintances, but he was grateful for their dedication. "It's time to head out," he stated sternly.

The two bodies shifted. Emerald eyes fluttered open before Sakura sat up and stifled a yawn. "Mm, alright." She nodded. "Naruto?"

"I'm up…" a raspy voice replied. Naruto waved his friend off and turned over again, his back now facing her.

"Get up." Juugo nudged the usually enthusiastic ninja with his dirt clad shoes.

Springing up, Naruto narrowed his eyes, "I'm up, but you didn't have to kick me with your dirty feet."

Sakura stretched out her limbs, eyes wandering the forest and then up to the sky. "A couple hours until sunrise, let's head out."

"Right, I'm ready," Naruto answered affirmatively; though his mouth was wide open in a deep yawn.

"You seem less energetic," Sakura remarked, her head tilting curiously.

"Because Hinata's fine, I just know it."

Hearing the blonde's words, Juugo inclined his gaze back up to the sky. "How are you so certain?"

"I just know it," he responded, stepping out in front of the two, "I had a dream and she was fine." Looking back, he shot the others his signature grin before turning back and jumping up into tree, and then another. Juugo and Sakura followed suit.

Just like earlier, the three leaf nin leapt from one branch to the next, and they continued until the high buildings and mountains near the cloud village started coming into view. The sun was due to rise in an hour or so.

With his senses on full alert, Naruto pushed off a thin branch, sending him forward before landing on the ground. He sniffed the air, much like how Kiba had done many times for the missions they had gone on together, but the blonde's sense of smell was significantly inferior to Kiba's. Nonetheless, he smelt something oddly familiar, but misplaced.

"What is it?" Sakura landed beside him, then followed by Juugo.

"Do you smell that?"

"Smell what?" she questioned, sniffing the air herself.

"It smells like blood," Juugo answered for them, starting off first in the direction of the metallic tang.

"Hinata?" Wide cerulean eyes locked onto the brush of shrubbery where the stench seemed to emanate from. Breaking into a sprint, he raced past Juugo and into the covering of forestry. Naruto continued to follow the scent, hastily kicking his way through thorny bushes and low-hung branches. The entire time he could feel his heart pounding erratically in his chest, threatening to burst out. His jaws were clenched and the chakra in his body was growing in intensity as his mind tried to reason the other possibilities of a bloody scene somewhere Hinata was believed to be. Finally finding a particularly strong whiff, Naruto pushed through the last of the leafy barrier.

He cringed as the smell of fresh blood hit him and then looking up, he cringed at the gory scene portrayed to him. Scanning the scene, his blue eyes roamed the battered bodies until the sound of feet shifting brought his attention over to the side, where he was met with crimson red eyes. His knees gave out and he fell to the ground, lungs heaving for air as his face contorted. It was like he had been ripped out of his body only to be jolted back in. _Genjutsu…_ With his muscles already tired from the journey, he felt the pronounced effect of the Uchiha bloodline. "Sasuke!" Naruto growled. Looking up to his best friend as his own eyes morphed from its usually bright blue to a fiery red.

"Naruto!" Sakura's voice called out, soon to be answered by the screech of a hawk's cry. She stepped out from the forest but froze once her emerald eyes found Sasuke standing close by and Naruto doubled over. "Sa-Sasuke…" she whispered.

The golden bellied bird spread its wings and took flight, gliding past a stunned Sakura and into the woody area behind her. In a matter of seconds it remerged propped on Juugo's shoulder, a barely there smile on his lips as he stroked it chest with a finger. "You came."

"Hn." Sasuke lowered his eyes from the trio, down to the blade of his sword where the tip glistened with beads of bloods. Those beads trickled down the length, creating a ripple in the puddle below. He flicked his wrist and then sheathed his weapon. Any outward signs implied he was calm, but Sasuke knew the anger and rage thundering through him was ready to spill out. With little regard for the lifeless bodies carelessly thrown below him, he stepped over and found himself firmly standing inches from Juugo. "You didn't protect her," he stated, his eyes narrowed and burning with ire.

Juugo nodded solemnly. The man regretted not being able to protect the Hyuuga heiress. The earlier fury he had unleashed upon hearing of her disappearance was replaced with a deep, self-loathing guilt. He hadn't just let down Hinata, but he had let down Sasuke, and he knew it all too well. "I'm sorry." The taller man bowed apologetically.

"Your apology is worthless right now," Sasuke countered irately.

"Wait a second," Sakura interrupted. She had her arms slung around Naruto's waist to ease him off the ground. "What's going on? Why are you here, Sasuke?"

Once Naruto regained his balance, he refrained from leaning on the pink-haired girl for support. "Sasuke," he ground out the name, laced with resentment.

Sasuke shifted his eyes slightly to catch sight of his former teammate. "I don't have time for this."

"Bastard!" Naruto lunged forward, his hand fisted and driving towards Sasuke's head. The fist was easily caught in Sasuke's own hand. "I don't have time for this either teme!" The blonde kicked his leg out, aiming for the Uchiha's shins. Sasuke let go of the fist and pushed off the ground, propelling backward.

Even with the mission at hand, Naruto unleashed a wave of strikes and Sasuke continued to dodge each one with his insightful eyes.

"Sasuke, stop."

"Let go of me," Sasuke pulled forward, trying to loosen the grip of Juugo's hand on his shoulder.

"Ow, Sakura," Naruto rubbed his shoulder from his spot a good distance from Sasuke, "did you have to hit me? I mean, Juugo just grabbed Sasuke." He motioned with a wave as his bottom lip puckered out.

"Serves you right, Naruto." She paced up to him and held her fist up threateningly.

"Tch," Sasuke scoffed and jerked his shoulder away from the taller blonde's grip. His face wore the usual scowl it was accustomed to. With that scowl, his obsidian eyes narrowed on his former teammates, glaring with malice and discontent.

Juugo was standing as tall as he had ever been and his eyes betrayed a glimmer of sadness, similar to how he had looked upon Sasuke's first encounter with him. They were eyes laden with grief and guilt, yet the Uchiha prodigy felt no sympathy to the conflict the man must be experiencing. There was only one image flashing in his Sharingan, and it had beautiful, lavender eyes. "Leave," he commanded in a stiff tone.

"Ha, you'd like that, wouldn't you?" Naruto mocked as he pulled himself up to his feet and dusted off some of the dirt. "Too bad, I've got someone to save and there's no way I'm turning back now."

There was a nod of agreement from the medic ninja. "We're on a mission and we will not turn back."

Sasuke glanced between the two, eyes determining their will to continue. "Suit yourself," he replied and then pointed his blade to the bodies in emphasis, "just don't get in the way of my mission, or you know what I'm capable of."

It chilled Sakura to the core hearing him speak so coldly to them, reminiscent of their last encounter. Even so, a small smile cracked across her features as he briskly marched passed them and leapt up to the high branches of a tree. Naruto followed enthusiastically after his friend, yelping something about never getting in anyone's way and beating Sasuke this time for sure.

"Naruto has suddenly loosened up," Juugo noted, stepping up beside the lone female of the group.

"They're best friends, after all," she answered softly before shifting her feet to face him, "Juugo, what exactly is Sasuke doing here?" The smile previously occupying her lips faded, giving way to a pensive expression. "I know you were with him prior to moving to Konoha, so you must know what he's doing here."

There was a sigh before Juugo inclined his head downward to look at the girl, then soon after, he cracked his own smile. "He's here to protect something precious to him."

"Huh?" She blinked, while a look of utter bafflement was written all over her countenance. It was replied with an ambiguous nod as Juugo took off as well, leaving Sakura questioning what was so precious to Sasuke that he went this far out of his way to protect it. "Could it be…" she whispered to herself, "he came to make sure… Naruto was safe on this mission?"

**

* * *

A/N:** Happy holidays!


End file.
